


Shattered

by Lovelyla



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Baby Lotor (Voltron), Healing, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Keith (Voltron), Omega Lance (Voltron), Past Abuse, Praise Kink, Slow Burn, the timeline is mixed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2019-10-09 13:18:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17407652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovelyla/pseuds/Lovelyla
Summary: In a slightly alternative universe where Lance was forced to mate with Zarkon and saved by Shiro.  Now as an unmated omega he must struggle with his feelings for both Shiro and Keith. Too bad for him they're both already mated to each other.





	1. Chapter One

Lance clutched the sleeping child to his chest. He used his other hand to hold onto the metal railing as another blast rocked the ship. He whispered a prayer and was thankful that Lotor didn’t wake. The sleep-inducing medicine in the child’s system was still in effect. He did not want young Lotor waking in the middle of their escape afraid and panicked. If this plan worked out Lotor would awaken to a life better than the one they knew. And if it didn’t work...well, not waking was better than staying with Zarkon. 

“Hold on we’re almost there. Just hold on,” Shiro said from the pilot's chair.

“No pressure. Just, um, try to make it in one piece okay?” Lance let out a nervous laugh. Zarkon’s champion had been their salvation. Lance knew the risk of setting the man free, he’d seen the brutality of his strength every time he fought in the arena but he’d hoped that in their shared hatred he’d find an ally. 

So far his gamble had worked out. Lance only hoped that they lived long enough to be able to enjoy their new found freedom. He touched his hand to the side of his neck where is scent glands lay. For the first time since his second gender had shown up, he was free of his alpha’s mark. Lance remembered the way Shiro’s metal arm pierced through Zarkon’s center and the look of complete surprise on the Galra’s face. If he were a proper omega he would have felt sadness over his alpha’s death but wasn’t Zarkon the one who was always telling him what a terrible omega he was? 

Lance was aware of all of his failings as an omega. Too tall, thin, and mouthy, but the inability to fill sorrow over the alpha who forced his mark on him was not something he would allow himself to feel bad about. In his arms, he cradled the only thing worth having that Zarkon had ever given him.

“Here we go!” Shiro called just as the ship began to shake violently. Lance’s whole body vibrated with the ship and lights flashed from the intercom. He squeezed his eyes shut and did not open them even after the shaking had stopped. He held tightly to his son as his heart pounded in his chest.  
Shiro let out a sigh and walked over to Lance. His hand touched his shoulder. Lance flinched back, not because he was afraid but because his body had become so unaccustomed to comforting touches from another alpha.

“...It’s okay, Lance. Everything is going to be okay now.” Shiro release a wave of soothing pheromones that Lance only slightly resisted. “The hyperdrive got us out of there in time. They won’t be able to track us.”

Lance slowly peeled his eyes open. Shiro stood in front of him, a glorious sight that even Lance could admit to. He was taller than Lance and more muscular, the prefect alpha but not without his scars. Lance didn’t mind that but it was his eyes more than anything that drew him in. Shiro’s irises were dark gray storm clouds that were intensely focused during battle and yet every now and then he’d caught glimpse of softness.  
That, more than anything had drawn Lance to him. The galra empire was known for stopping out anything soft and good especially amongst their alpha’s. Shiro being able to hold onto a piece of who he was even inside of the arena gave Lance.

“Look outside,” Shiro said with a soft smile.

Lance stood up. His legs still shook from the ordeal but he turned his head towards the ship window. There were stars all around them and in the distance glittered the pink and green galaxy he’d never seen before. Most importantly there was no sign of any other galra ships. Tears swelled inside of his blue eyes and he held Lotor closer. “We did it,” Lance breathed before turning back to Shiro, “you did it. You saved us.”

Shiro looked back at him. He raised a hand but hesitated probably remember the way Lance had flinched back before. Lance reached out and gently took his hand in his. “Thank you.”

“You saved me first.”

“Not much of a save if I couldn’t get us out of there,” said with another awkward laugh before shift Lotor in his other arm. At two years old Lotor was already taller than most kids his age but Lance thought he had the sweetest sleeping face any father had ever laid eyes on. His galra heritage was undeniable in the color of his purple skin but Lance liked to think his good looks came from him. 

“We wouldn’t be here without you, Lance. Don’t forget that because I won't,” Shiro said.

Lance looked back up at Shiro. “So what now?” 

Lance’s plan had consisted of one goal and that was to escape. He didn’t have much idea of what was supposed to happen after. Even with Zarkon dead his empire still had all the weapons and manpower to hunt them down. He’d fled with the prince of the empire in his arms. There were going to be people after him whether they wanted to bring Lotor back to the throne or to make sure the boy never grew into a threat.

Shiro looked away from him for the first time and walked back over to the control panel. He hit a few buttons before a map appeared. “Now we go home. My home. Princess Allura and the other members of Voltron will be able to keep you both safe.”

Lance had overheard mention of the princess and the other members of Voltron on more than one occasion. His late alpha had been more than a little obsessed. He always referred to them as foolish and naive idealist yet it amused Lance to no end how they always seemed to evade his capture. Lance was careful to keep his laughter to himself. Allowing a giggle to slip was the reason his pinky still did not bend all the way when he made a fist. 

“Will they have us?” Lance asked. He wasn’t a galra but he hadn’t done much to fight against the empire until now. Even that had been motivated by selfish desires. There was no real reason for them to trust him now.

Shiro glanced back at him. “Of course they will. Voltron is here to help.” 

Lance smiled but it was more for Shiro’s benefit than his own. He still held his doubts but at least it was something. If he could give his son a chance to be happy then that would be enough.

“How long will it take us to reach them?” Lance asked.

“Not long. I’ll send a message so hopefully, they will meet us halfway.”

Lance could see the desire to be returned to his people bright inside of Shiro’s eyes. He envied the older man for it. All that Lance had inside of this world was inside of this ship. There was life before the galra but part of being taken by them meant having his memory stolen. Even if he did have a home or a family they would not want him the way he was now. The only path for Lance was forward.

“You’re going to love them, Lance. You could search a thousand solar systems and never find anyone like them. Allura, Coran, Pidge, Hunk...Keith.” Shiro spoke the last name with so much affection that it was not hard for Lance to figure out which of those names his mark belonged to. Jealousy was a sharp knife to his heart but he had no right to feel it.  
Lance shifted Lotor in his arms again and the movement refocused Shiro’s attention back onto him.

“But I guess I don’t need to talk too much about them since you’ll be meeting them yourself. You should lay Prince Lotor down in the back.”

“Just Lotor,” Lance corrected. He wanted his son to have freedom and even titles could be binding.

“Lotor,” Shiro amended. “It might even do you good to get a little sleep yourself.”

Lance nodded before heading to the ship cabin. There were larger ships they could have taken but Lance figured a smaller target would be harder to hit. It worked out but there was only one bed inside of the ship. They would need to work something out once Shiro got tired but for now, Lance laid down next to his son. Lotor curled up close to his chest and sucked on his thumb. Before Zarkon had yelled at him for not breaking the child of the embarrassing habit. Now Lance shifted closer and buried his nose in child’s fluffy white locks.  
“We’re going to find a new home,” Lance promised. Whether it was with Shiro or someplace else Lance couldn’t be sure but for once his future seemed a little brighter.


	2. Chapter Two

Shiro was right about it not taking the other’s long to find them. Lance was awoken by the gentel shake of his arm. He flinched back instinctively but when he opened his eyes and saw Shiro he relaxed.

“Sorry,” Shiro said pulling back the metal hand.

“Is something wrong?” 

Shiro shook his head and smiled. “We’re here.” 

Lance blinked in surprise. Beside him, Lotor shifted and let out a whine. He was always a little fussy upon first waking. Lance rubbed soothing circles across his belly and leaned in closer so that his scent would comfort the boy as he woke. Lotor’s eyes opened and he looked up at his father. His eyes were the same shade of blue as Lance’s. 

“Morning.” Lance said before kissing a purple cheek.

Lotor smiled back up at him. It was a bright and beautiful smile. The kind of smile that made you free a worrier champion and take a ship across the galaxy just to make sure it never faded. 

“There’s food inside of the castle. Admittedly it’s not the best but Hunk’s pretty good at making something out of nothing,” Shiro spoke with an excited voice. He was probably happy to see his people again but had chosen to wake Lance before going down alone. Lance scooped the child up into his arms and followed Shiro out the room. 

The doors to the ship opened and Lance saw that they were already inside the castle. Shiro hopped down the ramp and Lance heard others calling the champions name. When Lance stepped down the ramp he saw that Shiro was already holding someone in a tight embrace. His body blocked the other boy from view but he saw how the pale arms clutched the back of Shiro’s shirt and held him close. 

Lance scented omega in the air. That alone wasn’t enough to bother him. Sometimes the only source of comfort Lance got back in the galra empire came from other captured omegas. The scent that agitated other omega’s had already been rewired in his brain to read as safe. That, however, did not mean that Lance was unbothered. He bent his head down focusing on Lotor and ignoring the selfish side of himself that he hated so much.

There were other’s there. Two alphas and two betas. Lance glanced over at them. It was clear which one was the princess. She had beautiful brown skin and flowing white hair. Her eyes were on Shiro and the other boy with a soft smile pressed to her lips. The look in her eyes was kind but she was one of the alphas that Lance had scented which made him hesitant to trust her.

“Okay, enough with the kisses, Keith. You weren’t the only one who missed Shiro,” The other alpha said. They had light brown hair and looked more like what you would expect from an omega than an alpha.

There was a shuffling noise from where Shiro stood. Lance did not trust himself to look over at them and was happy that he had missed their reunion kiss.

“He's my mate, Pidge, fuck off,” A voice that was not Shiro’s said, in a tone that was more joking than angry. Keith, Lance guessed. Curiosity got the best of him and Lance glanced over at him. He was shorter than both Lance and Shiro and heartbreakingly beautiful. His raven black hair was cut into an odd style that somehow worked for him and his eyes were the prettiest shade of purple Lance had ever seen.

Shiro looked at the rest of his team. “I’ve missed you all too.”

“Group hug!” The darker skinned beta cried as he raced forward. The others crowded in around him around him and wrapped their arms around each other with Shiro at the center of their embrace. 

Lance watched from his spot not far from the ship’s ramp and felt distinctly like an outsider. He saw there something he’d missed his entire time inside of the galra and wanted things he’d dear not ever ask for. Young Lotor sensing his father’s shift in mood let out a small cry. Lance blinked and looked back at his son. He bounced Lotor up and down on his hip and made soothing noises, but it was too late. Lotor’s cry broke the moment of the team's heartfelt reunion as eyes turned towards him.

Shiro pulled away from the group and stepped back over to Lance.

“Guys this is Lance. He’s the one who saved me from Zarkon,” Shiro said.

“I-I mean not really. I just undid a lock. Shiro’s the one who saved me. I’m really grateful to him,” Lance said with a shaky smile.

Allura moved forward and without thinking, Lance held Lotor closer and stepped behind Shiro. Allura froze in place as a wave of fear pheromones lept out before Lance could stop them. He saw the muscles of Shiro’s back tense and bent his head in shame.

Shiro exhaled and forced himself to relax. “Lance has been through a lot to make it here.”

Allura’s eyes filled with sorrow as she peeked behind Shiro’s back at Lance and then back at the black paladin. “You both have. I’m so sorry Shiro that we didn’t reach you in time.” 

“I chose to go back for the energy star. You made the right choice of getting the rest of the team out of there,” Shiro said.

“We never stopped looking for you,” Keith said. 

“I’ve been doing my best to track the movement of the Galra envoy but we ran into a bit of trouble,” the older altean beta said scratching the scar on the top of his head. 

“I knew you all would keep looking for me. It kept me going just to know that you were out there.”

Keith moved in closer too Shiro again and pressing against his side before leaning his head against his shoulder. Keith glanced over his shoulder and his eyes caught on Lance. Had Lance called omega’s eyes pretty before? That seemed like too simple of a word now that the violet irises were focused on him.

Lance wondered what Keith saw when he looked at him but he didn’t have long to think about it before the other boy’s eyes flicked away. He raised his head from Shiro’s shoulder. “You’ve traveled for so long. You must be hungry.”

“As a matter of a fact I’ve promised Lance some of Hunk’s cooking.”

“If it’s not a bother,” Lance said, he’d made no attempt to move from behind Shiro.

“Not at all, dude. I’ll have something together right away. Think we have purple mash left from the Tera system that the Jabba kids really loved if the little ones hungry.” 

Lance titled his head to the side just enough to see the beta looking at him with a smile. Lance blushed but tried to return that smile with mild success. “Thanks.” 

“You are welcome here, Lance. You both are,” Allura said with another kind smile and he was thankful she made no move to get any closer.

“Yay, food. Sappy emotions make me hungry,” Pidge cheered.

“Darling really?” Allura said looking over at the other alpha.

Pidge shrugged. “I am who I am.”

Lance’s brows furrowed at the use of the affectionate name. That was not something he saw often, especially between two alphas.

The others started heading toward the entry door. Shiro glanced back at them and gave a smile that said ‘everything would be okay now’. Lance wanted to believe that not just for his sake. He felt another’s eyes on him and turned to see Keith’s violet eyes focused on him again. Lance would have lowered his head any other time but something in his eyes made it hard to look away. Lance wasn’t entirely sure if he was being hated behind that stare. Surely no normal omega would want Lance so close to his alpha.

“Thank you for bringing him back,” Keith said, though it did not appear that the words were easy on him, before looking back up at Shiro. “I want to have a closer look at you. Assess the damage.”

Shiro held up his metal hand. “Spoiler alert, it’s pretty bad.” He laughed to try to cover the pain but Kieth did not shy away.

“You’re back and that’s all that matters.” Keith pressed up on the balls of his feet and placed a kiss against Shiro’s lips that was so tender it made Lance feel like he was drowning.  
Keith's eyes flicked back to Lance for just a second but the message was clear. Lance shut off that part of himself. Years of being mated to Zarkon had taught him well. He was not a person. He would not allow himself the pain of wanting what normal people had. Lotor was his world and he would only allow enough of himself to love for his son and no one else.

Lance cleared his throat. “Not to rush but I actually don’t know the way to the dining area and well…” A growl from his stomach supplied the rest. 

Shiro laughed a little at that. “This way.”

Lance smiled and followed the mated pair. He could do this. He’d gotten away from Zarkon and that alone was enough.


	3. Chapter Three

Lance found that he liked being with Hunk and Coran the most. Partly because of their upbeat attitudes but mostly because of there second gender status made it easier for him. Both Pidge and Allura seemed nice enough but years of training made it hard to trust them. Keith ate with them but after they finished he pulled Shiro back to his room. Pidge snickered when they rose to leave the table and Allura playfully batted at their arm.

Lance found it was easiest to not think about it at all. Lotor had no problem warming up to any of them. He flourished under their attention. He loved the purple mash that Hunk gave him and giggled when Allura made faces and shifted her appearance in front of him.

“He has a delightful laugh,” Allura complimented.

Lance’s chest filled with pride. “He does.”

“Aw man, it’s going to be so awesome when we have an Allura junior of our own. I’m going to teach them all kinds of things,” Pidge said excitedly.

Lance glanced at them both as Pidge leaned in to kiss the princess’s cheek. Well, that certainly was...unheard of. Then again maybe things were different outside of galra. Lance thought about it for a moment but ultimately decided that it didn’t matter to him. If the two alphas were into each other then that meant there was less of a chance that they’d look his way. He was almost certain that no one could be as bad a Zarkon had been but he doubted he’d ever been ready to take another mate.

The image of Shiro popped into his head.

_Don’t think. Don’t think._

Lance inhaled and pushed the longing deep inside.

“You okay over there?” Hunk asked.

“Oh, um, yeah just… still a little tired maybe,” Lance answered.

“The castle's pretty big so luckily we have enough room for you. I’ll show you to your room if you like,” Coran said.

“Thank you,” Lance wouldn’t mind getting to know them all more but the past days' events had been overwhelming and he could feel a headache developing.

He stood and held Lotor against his hip. The boy nibbled on something that looked like a cookie (a departing gift from a self-proclaimed uncle Hunk) and they followed Coran down the hallway. They’d passed a few doors before the scent hit Lance. 

Shiro and Keith. Their scents thick in the air twisted with a familiar scent that made his insides quiver. The mating scent was often thick inside of the galra castle walls. Often mixed with fear, pain, and blood. The part of him that feared that scent was instinctual but there were none of the other negative scents in the hall. It was just the two of them together in a way that the other captured omega’s only dared to whisper about. 

“Looks like the lovebirds are at it again,” Coran said unbothered.

Lance couldn’t stop himself from picturing it. Their skin flush and damp with sweat as they clung to each other. When Lance breathed, their scents filled his senses. He imagined Keith looking up at Shiro with the same tenderness he’d seen earlier. His hand clutched against his chest and for a moment Lance was so overwhelmed with emotions that it was hard to breathe.

“Lance, my boy, are you alright?” Coran noticing his discomfort for the first time.

Lance tried to shut off his brain and to not think about them, but the moment he did Zarkon filled his thought.

_Stupid, weak, useless boy. Do you think you deserve better? You who brought about the murder of your alpha?_ Zarkon’s voice hissed inside of his head. He remembered the feeling of having the larger galra pressed on top of him with his crushing weight. _This is all a dirty omega whore like you will ever deserve._

Coran took a step closer but Lance shook his head. “My room...please.” Lance needed to be alone behind a closed door.

Coran still looked worried but he continued down the hall. Thankfully, Lance’s room was far enough away from Shiro and Keith that their scent lessened as they walked down the hall. Coran opened the door to his room. Lance thanked the beta before quickly closing the door. He stood inside of the room that had a simple design. It was smaller than the one Zarkon had given him but still nicely sized. 

Lance looked around the room. It was still too much space and his breathing had not slowed down. When his eyes fell on the closet he paused. He looked back at Lotor and sat him down on the bed. “Daddy needs you to stay here okay, _hijo_?”

Lotor was intelligent for his age. Lance knew he understood him even if he hadn’t gotten to the point where he could form full sentences. Lance pulled out the one toy he’d taken with him and handed it to Lotor, hoping that would keep him busy for a while.

Lance walked over to the closet and stepped inside. He closed the door and darkness surround him. He sank to the ground and pulled his knees to his chest. After a few seconds it became easier to breathe. The small closet was not unlike the hidden wall passages he used to hide from Zarkon when the Galra Emperor’s anger was especially volatile. It was only in the dark that Lance allowed his tears to flow freely. He cried silently, always listening to make sure that Lotor was okay but unable to stop his own sorrow. What an unfit parent he was. Lance squeezed his eyes shut. 

For a moment he let the self-loathing wash over him. Of course, he would never have what Kieth and Shiro had. He was a broken omega. Lotor deserved better. He let the emotions drown him and just as he was about to run out of air he started to swim. He’d come to far to fail Lotor now. He did not trust anyone in this world enough to raise his son so even if he was broken and prone to falling apart he would piece himself together until he was enough.

Lance opened his eyes to the darkness of the closet. He raised a shaking hand and brushed the tears from his face. Lotor would not see him cry. When he was more confident about his face he pushed door opened and crawled outside.

Lotor looked over at him with an excited expression before quickly covering his face. He waited a few seconds before pulling his small purple hands away from his face and smiling at Lance. Lance smiled back before the boy covered his face again. His heart warmed when he realized why he was trying to do. They often played peek-a-boo together and it never failed to make the young child giggle.

Lance laughed when Lotor uncovered his face again and then swooped the boy in for a hug. He tickled Lotor’s sides and he let out a high pitch giggle. Lance let him settle after a while and gently cupped Lotor’s face in his hand. “You are the best part of me,” Lance whispered.

“One day when you grow older and find a love of your own and when you have filled your house with love and laughter...that’s when I know I will have given enough. Until then I that I will do everything to stay right here beside you,” Lance promised.  
…

Keith rubbed Shirow’s arm, feeling where warm flesh met cool metal. Shiro’s body tensed under his touch. “It’s okay.” Keith kissed him. Their bodies were still pressed to one another, Keith’s cum sticky on both of them. He should clean but for right now he was enjoying the feel of his alpha’s cock still in inside of him and the weight of his larger build on top of him. 

Shiro broke their kiss and rested his forehead against Keith’s. “I’m sorry I... overdid it.”

“Nope,” Keith tilted his head back and bit Shiro’s lower lip. “This is perfect.” His body would have a few marks and extra aches come morning but Keith was fine with that. It was the proof he needed that it wasn’t all a dream. His alpha was back with him and he wanted everything he had to give. Demanded it. 

“I know it’s probably different from how it-” 

“Shiro,” Keith reached up and grabbed his lovers face between his hands. A slight note of irritation had crept into his voice, which wasn’t what he had planned so he tried to amend it. “You finally come home after all this time and fuck me like a god and you think that’s a bad thing?”

“I didn’t hurt you?” 

Keith’s brow furrowed. “Of course you didn’t. If you did I wouldn’t have asked for more.”

Shiro relaxed nuzzling into the side of Keith's neck where his glands were. “You do sound the best when you beg.”

Keith rolled his eyes but didn’t try to move away. His hand stroked down Shiro’s back feeling the slightly raised skin from where his nails had dug in. There were other scars on his back as well. Ones not born of pleasure. Part of him burned every time he felt them but they did not make him love his alpha any less.

“What’s going on in your head?” Keith asked. It wasn’t normal for Shiro to be so worried. Maybe it was because he’d been away for so long but the reunion sex had been even better than before. That being said, Shiro had always seemed to have a special intuition about how to give his partners pleasure. It bothered Keith that he seemed worried now.

“...I hurt a lot of people.”

Keith could barely hear the alpha’s voice but his hands tightened around him. “That’s not your fault. They made you do it, Shiro.” 

Shiro didn’t respond and after a few second Keith felt him starting to pull back. He smiled down at the omega but the smile did not touch the sadness in his eyes. People were always saying Keith was surprisingly tough for an omega but that did not mean he didn’t feel what others of his gender did. Failing to comfort his alpha _hurt_ him. He may not be able to summon tears as quickly to his eyes but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel it.

“We need to shower,” Shiro said.

Keith turned over on his side. “ Just hand me the rag over there I’ll shower in the morning.” He felt the bed shift as Shiro got up. He felt worse the further away the alpha got which was ridiculous because they were still in the same damn room. 

Shiro handed returned with the rag but when Keith reached for it he held on. “Let me.”

His alpha was always so caring even if Keith wasn’t the best a being cared for. He hated that the galra had made him feel like he was anything less than the superb caring person that he was.

Keith grabbed Shiro’s wrist as he was wiping his chest. “I did like it, you know. I don’t mind if things get a little rough.”

“The alphas in the galra were always rough with their omega. The scent of distressed omega was so thick you could taste it. Things got more than a little rough with Lance and Zarkon.”

Keith sat up. “Is that what this is about? Do you think that _this_ is anything like _that_?”

“No, of course not,” Shiro squeezed his eyes shut. “I just couldn’t live with myself if I ever made you-”

Keith pushed Shiro down crawling in between his legs. He lowered his head and licked a slow trail up Shiro’s muscular thighs. “There’s only one thing you’ve ever made me feel.” His hand stroked up and down Shiro’s thick cock until he felt it harden again. “Do you know what that is?” Keith asked as he bought his mouth closer. He paused over the hard dick and looked up at Shiro. It was never easy for Keith to show certain parts of himself but as his violet eyes meet with Shiro’s gray ones, he knew there was at least one man worth trying for.

“Loved,” Keith said before swallowing him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith pov with Keith mostly being a problem child who doesn't know how to express himself.

Keith woke before Shiro did. It was no surprise considering all that he had been through. He should have insisted he rest the moment he got back but it had been too long since they'd been together. Part of him feared his alpha would disappear the moment he let go.

Keith gently combed his fingers through his mates hair. The patch of white was new but it still felt the same against his fingertips. So many things about Shiro were changed. A new color of hair alongside new scars both seen and unseen. Despite the happiness their reunion brought, Keith could tell there was something off about his mate. Which, of course, there was something off. It had been six months two weeks and four days since he’d been taken from them. 

Keith's hand tightened into a fist as he thought again about how he had failed to save Shiro. He’d already lost his family once, losing Shiro wrecked him in ways he couldn’t put into words. From the moment he left Keith thought about nothing else but how to get Shiro back into his arms but in the end, it was another omega who had saved them.

Lance omega scent had been as soft as an ocean breeze and as sweet as candy. His beauty was evident upon first sight. Tan brown skin and eyes that sparkled blue and dared any onlooker not to fall hopelessly in love. From what Shiro said he’d been captured by the galra and looking at Lance it wasn’t hard to figure out why they wanted him.

Keith didn’t know what to feel when it came to the other omega. As a paladin of Voltron, it was his duty to help people like Lance who’d been victimized by the galra. Plus Lance had helped free Shiro. The only thing he should feel towards the blue-eyed man was grateful but instead, he was unable to fight the sense of unease growing in his chest. 

Looking down at Shiro he tried to focus on what was right in front of him. After their intense session of lovemaking, Shiro had fallen into a less than restful slumber. The first time he woke up it had been because of Shiro’s violent tossing and turning. Keith had to wake him up and when he did Shiro’s metal arm had gripped his wrist so hard Keith was sure it would leave a bruise. Of course, he’d released him when realized who it was. The look of shame clear on his face. Keith wasn’t having that. He leaned in and kissed him completely unafraid. 

He was not the type of omega that needed to be treated like a delicate flower and he received far worse during training. There would never be any part of Shiro that he had to keep hidden from Keith. He needed the older man to know that but still, Shiro had neglected to open up about what his nightmare had been about.

Looking at the scars that marked his loves naked skin, Keith felt the intense urge to take his Lion and return the favor to the entire empire with interest. Keith leaned in and pressed his nose to Shiro’s scent glands. The only thing that kept him from attacking was that it would mean leaving Shiro alone again.

“I’m never letting you go,” Keith whispered.

Shiro shifted closer to him. His arm tightening around his waist. Keith tried to tell himself that it didn’t matter how Shiro had come back all that matter was that he was here with him. Keith settled down next to him again and tried to fall back to sleep. It worked because the next time he opened his eyes it was because Hunk was knocking at the door.

“You guys Allura says come eat,” Hunk yelled from the other side.

Shiro groaned beside him and lifted his head.

“We could just ignore him,” Keith offered. The thought of spending the whole day in bed next to Shiro wasn’t so bad, but then Shiro’s stomach growled and he tossed the covers off. Thankfully he had decided to shower last night after their second go around. Keith rushed to put clothes on, not because his nakedness embarrassed him but because Shiro preferred to sleep in an ice box. Keith had always teased that it was really just an excuse for them to cuddle closer. 

“And is that such a bad thing?” Shiro would ask.

Keith loved the hell out of his mate but it didn’t change who he was. It didn’t take away the years of abandonment he experienced before he met the other members of Voltron and it didn’t make him any better at social interaction. He felt as strongly for his alpha as any other omega but every now and then he did need to be reminded to actually _show_ it. So, no, it wasn’t a bad thing.

As they got ready Keith found himself falling into the natural cadence of their morning routine. It was the little things like this he’d missed when Shiro was away. Once they were both dressed they headed towards the kitchen. Everyone else was already there before them. Lance was the first one who seemed to notice their arrival. His eyes went to Shiro the moment they stepped inside.

Keith glanced over at Shiro and saw that he was smiling back at the blue-eyed omega. When he looked back at Lance, those sparkling eyes turned toward him. They held each other gaze for a moment. He didn’t exactly sense a challenge from the other omega but there was something in his eyes that made it so that Keith didn’t want to back down. Lance was the first one to look away and he found it surprisingly disappointing.

“Grab a chair boys,” Coran said.

The two chair’s next to Lance were the only ones open. Keith took the one closest to Lance. Better him than Shiro. Lance’s son sat on his knee chewing on something blue and sticky. When Keith sat down the boy smiled and held out out the piece of food. Kieth grimace in disgust as a long piece of drool dripped down the child's hand near and fell near Keith’s arm.

“No, sweetie, he doesn’t want your food,” Lance looked up at him with apologetic eyes. “Sorry, he’s really into sharing.”

“That’s not really a bad thing,” Shiro said.

Keith just grunted. Lance pulled back moving his son over to his other leg. Keith felt irritated mostly at the fact that he was irritated. Lance didn’t deserve his attitude and he thought he was better than the silly competitions that sometimes arise between those of the same genders.

“What crawled up your pants, princess? It’s a beautiful day in the universe. Shiro’s back and Zarkon is dead,” Pidge said with a smile.

Keith noticed the slight flinch Lance gave at the mention of Zarkon’s name and felt worse for his early response. 

“It is a good day but we must remember that our battles are not over. If the empire does not fall with the emperor we will still have work to do with Voltron,” Allura said.

“Can’t forget the small victories though,” Pidge said. “I’ll take my celebrations were I can get them, thank you very much.” 

“I’m with Pidge. It’ll be nice if we can get a little break from the constant fighting now.” Hunk said piling more food onto his plate. 

“It will probably take them at least a month to reorganize for any real attack. Two for something effective,” Lance said in a soft voice not really looking at anyone as he played with his son’s foot. He seemed to sense everyone’s eyes on him as he stopped playing and looked up.

“What makes you say that?” Pidge asked.

Lance swallowed and Keith watched his adam's apple bobbed inside his slender neck. “I’m not...I could be wrong though...please ignore me.” 

Keith was slammed with another wave of omega fear pheromones that made him grit his teeth and wrinkle his nose.

“Lance it’s okay,” Shiro said soothing pheromones combating Lance’s. “No one is upset at you.”

“Yeah buddy we’re just curious about what you have to say,” Hunk said. 

Lance looked over at him. It seemed to be easier for him to keep his focus on their side of the table as opposed to the side where Allura and Pidge set. It wasn’t hard to guess why. Keith felt another wave of anger at the galra empire. 

“It’s just that from what I’ve overheard. Captain Sendak would be the most likely to take over if Zarkon wasn’t there b-but he’s in another galaxy helping with the colonization of the fifth sector. There are others who want to position of course but their more likely to waste time fighting each other. Sendak’s the only one with enough influence to rally the others behind him. So until he gets back…”

Allura nodded to herself. “Hmm, that does sound like some whispers I’ve heard through the galaxy. Thank you for sharing that Lance it will be helpful in deciding what we do next.” 

Lance blushed and it looks nice against his tan skin. “Happy to help.”

They continued to eat and Keith held Shiro’s hand under the table but his eyes kept drifting back over to Lance. A few times Lance glanced up and caught him looking. Their eyes would hold for a few seconds before Lance looked away. This time when Keith caught his eye he spoke before Lance could look away.

“Do you have someplace to return to?” Keith’s tone sounded harsher than he intended. He was genuinely curious but the words blurted out of him before he could soften their edges.

“I...no. I don’t have anywhere b-but...I’ve come this far so I’ll find something.” Lance’s voice wavered but his eyes did not. There was a determination inside of his eyes that Keith liked more than he probably should have.

“Don’t have to,” Hunk spoke between bites, “Stay here.”

“I don’t want to be a bother.” Lance looked down at his lap again.

“It’ll be pretty hard to get around an unknown galaxy with no plan and a kid,” Keith said.

Lance frowned but did not look up at him. “I’ll figure it out.”

“How.” 

“I don’t know. I just will.” Lance looked at him with something that was almost a glare. A smile quirked at the corner of Keith’s mouth but he resisted it.

“You staying here wouldn’t be a problem. We want you to. At least until you figure something else out. Please,” Shiro said.

The last word made Lance’s shoulders slump. “Okay, if it’s not a problem,” Lance said in a soft voice.

“It’s not.” Keith snapped before he could stop himself. Keith wasn’t sure what the hell was going on with him. It wasn’t like he needed the other omega to stay and bring further confusion and unease into his life, but he didn’t exactly want him to go either. He thought it was mostly because kicking a single dad and his kid out into the middle of space wasn’t exactly to morally responsible thing to do.

“Seriously what’s wrong with you. I thought we were done with bitchy Keith now that Shiro is back. I was seriously hoping once you got some dick you’d chill the fuck out.”

“Shut up, Pidge.” Keith pushed away from the table. He needed some air. He heard Shiro call his name but he didn’t stop. Sometimes the only way to deal with his frustration was to work it out of his body until his muscles ached.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance stared at the door Keith had left out of. It was probably because of his time with the galra but Lance had never seen an omega speak and act the way Keith did. The way he talked back to Pidge, despite them being an alpha, was awe-inspiring. Too bad he was fairly certain that Keith didn’t like him and that the feeling was mutual. 

Shiro was also staring at the door.

“Oh what are you waiting for. If you want to go after him then just go,” Pidge snapped.

Shiro looked back at them but his desires were clearly painted on his face. He turned towards Lance. “I’m sorry about that he’s not normally...he just takes a minute to warm up to people.” 

Lance neither needed nor desired an explanation. He kept his eyes focused on Lotor as Shiro rose from the table and walked out the door. 

Once the door was closed Allura turned to Pidge. “You should be more understanding.” 

“That he’s an irritable ass to our new guest.”

“Things can be a little complicated as we all adjust to another gender aboard. Which of course isn’t anyone’s fault. It is just biolo-”

“Bullshit. Are _you_ seriously trying to preach that same gender pseudoscience to _me_?” 

Allura returned her look of agitation. “All I’m saying is we have to make room for adjustments.” 

“He was being rude!”

“Guys,” Hunk called and the two alpha’s looked over at him. “I don’t think you’re helping Lance feel any better.”

They looked over at Lance and he sank farther back into his chair. His heart was pounding in his chest and he’d moved as far away from their side of the table as possible. He did not like the scent of agitated alphas even if that agitation wasn’t directed at him.

Pidge visibly shrank. “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. I’m not really mad at anybody.”

Lance nodded his head but it was mostly because he wanted the alpha to turn their attention away from him. His eyes glanced at the door. He wished Shiro had stayed. The presence of the other alphas was easier to deal with when he was around.

_No, Lance. He’s not your alpha he can’t protect you._

Lance looked away from the door and forced himself to shift more towards the center of his chair. He could pretend to be brave even if his heart was trying to break free of his rib cage. 

“It’s okay,” Lance said. 

“No, it’s not,” Allura said, “I’m sorry if this seems like a lot for you. We’re all stuck on this ship together and that can be hard to deal with at times. I know that we make you uncomfortable now but I promise you that this is a loving and supportive crew. Once you have had time to adjust and understand both Pidge’s and Keith’s different way of showing concern I’m sure you will see that too.” 

“Okay,” Lance said again because he’d learned sometimes it was just better to be in agreement. 

Allura looked saddened but she didn’t try to add anything else. He waited until everyone was done before heading back to his room where he spent the remainder of the day. He was slightly shaken by the way their meal ended but he didn’t need to go back into the closet so all in all he considered the day an improvement compared to yesterday. 

It was late when a knock came from his door. Lance slowly made his way over before peeking his head out of the door. He was relieved to see that it was Coran and not one of the alphas. 

Coran held up a stack of folded clothes. “Princess Allura thought you might need a change of clothes. I’m the closest your size so you, my boy, are in luck. You are going to be dressed is some of the most fashionable menswear the altea has to provide.”

Lance accepted the pile of clothes. “Thank you.”

“There’s a t-shirt in their from Pidge that will probably fit little Lotor like a dress but it’s the smallest thing we have on hand at the moment.” 

Lance thanked him again before closing the door. They all seemed a little strange to him but that because for Lance the horrifying life inside of the galra was normal. He was still afraid of being inside the castle but they didn’t seem like bad people. As much as it upset him to admit it, Keith was right. His best option was here inside the castle. He would just do his best to try to avoid the things that triggered him.

Lance laughed. “The real question is what doesn’t trigger me?” He looked at Lotor who was currently having fun pressing the button that opened the draws and ignoring him. “Your daddy has issues kiddo. He just hopes he doesn’t pass any onto you.” Lance swept him up and carried his son and carried him out to the bathroom.  
...

Shiro found Keith exactly where he would have expected him to be, inside of the training room. He watched at the dark haired boy dropped kicked a robot and the rolled out from another bots attack. Keith had always been interesting to watch fight. He focused so completely on the battle at hand and brought such a high level of intensity training.

It was here that Shiro first realized that what he felt for Keith was different from how he felt about any of the other members of Voltron. Back at the garrison Keith had been so young and withdrawn that he hadn’t even registered on his radar. It was after the Lions showed up with their princess from outer space that Shiro started paying attention. 

Keith stopped once the robots were all taken down. He stood in the middle of the circle with sweat dripping down his brow and breath labored. “How long do you plan on standing there?” He asked without turning his head because of course, he knew he was there. They were mates a would know each other's scents anywhere.

“Wasn’t sure you wanted company,” Shiro said still lingering by the door.

“But you still came anyway.”

“Should I go?”

Finally, Keith turned and looked at him. “No.” 

Shiro walked inside and didn’t stop until he was standing in front of Keith. He cupped the shorter boy’s face in his hand and his lips. He loved the way he smelled when he was covered in sweat. When he pulled back Keith’s eyes were on him. 

“What was that for?” Keith asked.

Shiro shrugged. “Because I wanted to. Because I could kiss you every hour of every day and that still would not be enough. Because when I was locked away even more than the sun against my skin I wanted to feel your body against mine. But mostly because I love you and no matter what I will never stop loving you.”

Keith looked at him with those beautiful violet eyes and it seemed that even if he wanted to he didn’t fully believe those words so Shiro kissed him again. His arm wrapped around Keith and pulled him closer. Everyone knew by now that Keith had grown up without parents. He had the tendency to act like a lone wolf but Shiro knew that was only because he’d trained to use his loneliness as a shield. Only Shiro had heard the stories of how the young omega would play make believe that he had an entire pack waiting for him on some distant star. 

When Keith told him about what it was like before the garrison, learning to deal with being rejected by families again and again, Shiro promised him that he’d never leave him. It was a promise he was unable to keep.

Keith waited a few seconds before deepening the kiss. His fingers combed through Shiro’s hair and scratched at his scalp. His tongue lept out and he tastes him savoring the flavor. Heat started to build between the two and again Shiro was reminded of how much he’d missed this feeling.

Shiro’s hand squeezed his ass and Keith let out a moan before playfully biting his lip. Shiro felt the urge to lift grab his thighs and lift him around his waist. He could take him right there and let his beautiful moans fill the training room but being caught and scolded by Coran once was enough for the black paladin.

With a bit of reluctance, Shiro pulled back from Keith. When he opened his eyes he smiled to see Keith's lips were set with a rose tint from their shared kiss. “I missed you.” He whispered. He told him last night and he had no problem saying it again because it was the truth.

Keith placed another chaste kiss on his lips before stepping away. “I wasn’t trying to be mean to him.”

Shiro knew who he was talking about without asking. “I know.” 

“I just… I wasn’t expecting any of this.” He combed his finger through his mullet.

“I know.”

“The way he reacts is fucking terrible. It’s fucking terrible what those bastards did to him.”

“But he’s with us now and we’re going to make sure that it never happens to him again.”

Keith let out a sigh and released some of the tension that was built up inside of his body. Shiro stepped closer and he leaned against his broad chest. His metal arm wrapped around Keith’s shoulders. “I think he’s going to need you more than any of us.”

“I think he’s going to like me the least out of everyone.”

“Nah, you’re the only one who didn’t make him flinch away when you got angry. You’re the one he’s not afraid of. He needs someone like that right now.” 

“Only because I’m an omega and it’s easier to hate me than to fear me.”

Shiro chuckled and Keith felt it vibrate against him. “You’re still so stubborn.”

“I’m not the one who was too stubborn to get in the ship.”

Shiro froze. They hadn’t talked much about their last trip but it was clear that Keith still harbored some negative emotions. He was not sure if he was ready to touch the subject. The memory of the arena and Zarkon’s dungeon was still too fresh in his mind. After last nights dream of being locked into another match, Shiro didn’t want to think about it at all.

“The kid clearly took after his galra side,” Keith said changing the subject.

Shiro relaxed a little. “Not really I think he kind of looks like Lance.”

“Hm, and when Lance said that Sendak was the only one the galra would rally around that wasn’t exactly true was it. They’d support the heir.”

“Lotor’s a child and I don’t think Lance wants him anywhere near the galra empire. That was kind of the whole point of the escape.” 

“Doesn’t mean others won’t have a different opinion. They’re going to come after them.”

“Probably.”

“And it’ll be our job to keep them safe.”

“That is what Voltron was built for.” 

Keith sighed again. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Old Shiro probably would have told him that no one was going to get hurt but the words tasted bitter on his tongue. “I don’t want you getting hurt either,” he said instead.   
“Well, now that you’re here we can at least practice more on forming Voltron.”

“True.”

Allura was a great leader and a brave fighter but for whatever reason, the blue Lion had never completely bonded with her. They could form Voltron when in dire need but never for a long amount of time. It was part of the reason why they had been unable to get off of the planet when they need to the time Shiro got captured. 

Shiro was happy to be back but after everything, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to fight again. The memory of his last fight flashed in his mind. It had been a team battle. His partner had been younger than most of the garrisons new recruits. When he lay bleeding in Shiro’s arms his last words had been that he didn’t want to die. That was the last thing he remembered of the battle before Zarkon clapped announcing his victory. Soaked in the blood of his opponents, Shiro turned to where Zarkon stood. Inside, he darkened with an all-consuming hatred.

A shift from behind Zarkon brought Shiro’s attention to the man standing there. The man dressed in a sheer blue tunic that matched his sparkling blue eyes. He was watching Shiro, not with the animalistic hunger the others shared but with something else entirely. The child in his arms squirmed trying to turn his head away from his father’s chest but he wouldn’t allow it. It was clear that the man in blue did not want to let his son see the bloodshed of the arena.

“Shiro?” The sound of his name and Keith ’s worried tone brought him back to the training room. He blinked and looked down at him. “Where did you go?” His gloved hand was cool against Shiro’s cheek.

“Sorry,” Shiro said with the small smile that did not answer the question.

Keith pulled away, clearly upset. “I’m going to shower.”

Shiro wanted to say something else but couldn’t get the words to form before the door slammed closed. He held onto his metal arm wishing that he could pretend everything was okay, but knowing he could only hold off the past for so long. He returned to Keith but they could never return completely to how things had been before. Shiro had no idea of how to tell the man he loved that his alpha was broken.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers. I realize that the chapter lengths haven't been that consistent but that's because I wrote the first half beforehand without really think about that. (oops) Anyway, that's to say today's chapters a little shorter but hopefully, you still enjoy it. Also, Keith's pov

Keith knew that the other omega was in the shower not by the smell of his scent (running water and soaps had a way of confusing things) but by the sounds of his singing. It was a beautiful sound that drifted out into the hallway. The melody, however, was heartbreaking.

Una vez amé un hombre (I once loved a man)

Que no podia amarme (who didn’t love me)

Él sacó mi corazón del mar (he took my heart from the sea)

El mar (from the sea)

Y creerias? ( and would you believe?)

Una sirena como yo mio (a mermaid like me)

Ahogada?(drowned?) 

Keith didn’t know what the words meant but Lance sang them with passion in his heart. Of course, he just had to have the voice of an angel. Those types of talents were well loved in omegas. Even before their second genders presented he remembered the comments that the other children would receive. _“Did you see Susie? Such a beautiful voice and a perfect little darling. I’m sure she’ll make a fine omega someday!”_ No one ever said those kinds of things about Keith. Too rough for an omega and too reserved for an alpha.

Keith felt himself growing frustrated at the memory so when he opened the door and marched inside his footsteps were loud enough to be heard and the singing abruptly stopped.

Keith grumbled as he stripped out of his workout clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist. It wasn’t really Lance so much as all the things he reminded him of. He grabbed his shower caddy and turned just as Lance rounded the corner.

“Oh, it’s you,” Lance said clearly relieved. He had two towels one wrapped around his neck and another around his chest, trying to block as much skin as possible. There were still a few suds in both his and Lotor’s hair. He’d probably rushed to get out of the bathroom as soon as possible, obviously afraid of what might happen. Which managed to both break his heart and make him feel like a complete ass. At the end of the day, second genders didn’t matter nearly as much as how you treated people. After all that he had been through Lance deserved better.

“It’s me,” Keith repeated, “go finish your shower.”

“I was pretty much finished.”

Keith arched a brow. What was the purpose of telling such an obvious lie? He shook his head and looked away. “Just go shower.”

“You’re awfully snappy for an omega.”

“You-” Keith turned ready to tell him off but stopped when he noticed the slight smile on Lance’s face. It was such a surprising slight that for a moment he blanked. The blue-eyed omega held his gaze and twinkle in his eyes that made Keith wonder what he was like when he was completely unafraid. 

The moment only lasted for a few seconds before Lance seemed to remember himself and his smile fell. He cleared his throat. “Um, we only used a little water so there should be plenty left for you. Do you…” Lance hesitated a few seconds before trying again. “Do you want help.”

Keith frowned. “With what?” His brain had just started to function again.

“Oh, um, nevermind...it’s dumb… you probably don’t...I shouldn’t-”

“Just say it.”

Lance froze for a few seconds before looking up at him. “It’s just that back there we shared baths and sometimes we would help each other if someone was hurt. Not that you’re hurt or… it was just to be nice. Something we did. Not too often for the alphas to notice. They didn’t like us getting to close. Afraid that we might plot something. I didn’t know if omega did stuff like that outside of the galra but we did. You probably don’t. I’m sorry.”

The words spilled out of Lance’s mouth in a rush. Keith, again, was stunned into silence. He shared the shower room with the other members of Voltron but the only one he actually showered with was Shiro. Usually, those showers ended with his back pressed against the tile wall or knees on the shower floor. 

It seemed that Lance was offering something far less sexual in nature but still too intimate for him to be comfortable with. The fact that Lance had offered it as a way to be friendly made saying no harder. He knew the other omega was trying. Keith stood there like the socially inept man that he was and tried to think of something to say.

Lotor let out a sneeze that brought the adults attention back to him. He rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand.

“Some other time. That one probably shouldn’t spend much more time cold and wet. Just rinse off for now and get dressed.”

Lance nodded before taking his son back over to the shower. Keith exhaled only after they were gone. He tried not to think too hard about the fact that he’d agreed to bath with the other omega at some later point and tried even harder not to think about what said omega would look like completely exposed. Part of him hoped that whatever was going on was just his hormones and once they settled down so would he.

Instead of walking over to the showers he walked back out of the locker room and leaned against the door. 

Pidge came walking down the hall a few minutes later. He’d been expecting them. They were a creature of habit. When they saw Keith standing outside in his towel their lips quirked into a smile. 

“What are you doing out here?” They asked.

“Lance is in there.” 

“Are you that against being around another omega?”

“Not me, you.”

“Oh,” Pidge deflated realizing what he meant. The looked down at their shower caddy. “I’ll come back later.”

Keith could practically see their ears lowering and tail tucking. He gave their shoulder a firm pat. “It’s not you. It’s the galra.”

Pidge nodded and scratched the back of their neck. Keith wasn’t the best omega when it came to comfort. Just another way he failed to uphold the standards of his second gender. Keith never doubted his use to team as a member of Voltron but his use to the team as the pack omega...well, let's just say that it if not Lance it would probably be better for them all if another omega took his place. It hurt to admit.

“It just sucks,” Pidge said.

They were an alpha and even if Lance wasn’t their mate it wouldn’t be easy for them to see him so distressed. It was apart of pack mentality.

“It’ll get better,” Keith said.

_They’re with us now,_ Shiro’s words repeated in his head.

“Sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t- Allura was right.”

Keith wasn’t sure what Allura had said but she was usually the one to talk reason into the stubborn scientist.

“It’s cool.”

Pidge smiled. “Just so we’re clear, you’re still my favorite omega.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “They should be done soon so make yourself scarce”

“Later, princess.” Pidge wiggled their fingers in a wave before disappearing down the hall.

A few minutes later the door opened. Lance was dressed in Coran’s clothes and Lotor wore a shirt that said: “Keep Calm and Science”. The shirt was too long and hung on Lotor like a dress and screamed adorable. Keith forced himself to look away. Children were always hard because even in his worst days he’d never been able to completely squash nurturing side of himself but they were also a reminder of the things he couldn’t have. He never hid the scar on his stomach. Even now with the towel tied around his waist, it was visible. He would know it was there even if the rest of the world didn’t and hiding it wouldn’t reverse the effects. Keith had learned long ago to accept it all but every now and then he got phantom pains. 

“Sorry we took so long,” Lance said drawing Keith’s attention.

“At least now you’re both clean and dry,” Keith said.

“Have a nice shower,” Lance said before he started down the hall. Lotor hesitated to move and Lance stopped to look back at him.

Lotor looked up at Keith and smiled. “Bye bye.” he waved.

Keith’s chest constricted but as always he powered through it and waved back. “Bye, little dude.” 

This time when Lance started walking again the child went along with him. Keith went back into the showers finally able to wash the sweat off his body. Most of it had dried at that point but it still felt better to be clean. He remembered Lotor’s grinning face as he turned off the water. He seemed like a good kid and that smile was sure to breaking hearts once he got older. It wouldn’t be easy if they stayed but Keith decided that he wanted them to. Shiro always liked kids and it would be nice for him to have one around. Especially if his mate could never provide him with one of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love mermaid Lance fanfic and honestly could not stop myself.


	7. Chapter 7

When Lance woke for his nightmare he did not jolt up panting and screaming, no it was much worse. He laid there unable to move for the first few minutes completely paralyzed. He wanted to scream but his mouth would not open. Just like in his dream where Zarkon had come back from the dead to strangle him, Lance was completely helpless. 

Lotor, ever the wild sleeper, nudged closer to him. The push was enough to knock Lance off the bed and the pain of his body hitting the floor was enough to awaken his muscles. He gasped in air, his hand touching his throat and tears rolling down his face. After his gasping stopped he sat on the floor, shaking with silent tears. They’d been with the members of Voltron for weeks now, but Lance was still plagued with horrible nightmares about Zarkon’s return.

Lance still remembered the sharp pain of the galra teeth as the bit into the side of his neck. _You are mine now._ Zarkon spoke the words with a soft chuckle before pulling Lance into a possessive kiss. As the alpha’s tongue dove inside of his mouth, Lance had tasted the copper of his own blood.

He blinked away the memory and rubbed back of his hand against his mouth. Finally, Lance stood from the ground. He was still shaking but he tears hand started to dry. Lotor curled around his pillow, drool sticking the pillowcase to the side of his face. His son twisted and turned in his sleep but at least, judging from the expression on his face he did not seem to be having any nightmares.

Lance turned from his son and slipped quietly out of the room. The light of the hall flicked on bright. His eyes burned for a few seconds but adjusted as he made his way down the hall. Of all the places in the castle he was most fond of his room (no one entered without his permission) but he didn’t want to sleep again, so he made his way to the second most comfortable area.

He liked walking around the castle when everyone else was asleep. Day and night may have been simulated on the ship but it seemed everyone had fallen asleep. Lance was learning to like being around them all but everything was still new. At times like this when he walked the halls alone and the occasional drifted through the doors, he found himself comforted by both the distance and the existence of their presences. 

Shiro had promised Lance that his crew members weren’t like any others and from what Lance had experienced that was true. They each had their own little quirks. He found that Coran had an interesting array of stories and most of the time when something exploded within the castle Pidge was behind it. Allura was far wiser than Zarkon had given her credit for (which, again, not surprising) and Hunk was fun to be around.

The first time Lance let one of his silly thoughts slip out the beta had doubled over in laughter. It lifted Lance’s heart through the roof to see such a joyous reaction from what he said and Lance made a point to try and tell more jokes. He didn’t always talk much but when he did he wasn’t scolded and the others seemed to listen. It made Lance want to talk more.

More than anything it made Lance happy to see the effect the others were having on Lotor. The first time he’d spoken to Keith outside the bathroom Lance had nearly burst into tears. He made a quick escape before Keith could tell something was wrong. Lance never questioned his son's intelligence but it was hard not to notice other galra children forming words when his son would not. Of course, Zarkon had blamed him.

_“Stupid omega it is because of you that my child falls behind.”_

Lance didn’t see it that way. He knew that his son would form words when he was ready. Lotor tried a few times when they were alone and Lance had always assumed he didn’t with others because he wasn’t comfortable. Now every time his son said something Lance smiled not because he was up to date with whatever pre-established developmental guidelines but because it made him feel like it all had been worth it. With any luck, Lotor’s time with the galra would be nothing more than a forgotten memory. 

There would come a time when Lotor would ask about his other father but for now, Lance didn't want to think about it. 

Lance had been so wrapped inside of his own thoughts he was surprised by how quickly he arrived at the door. He was prepared to open it but hesitated. Sniffing the air, he picked up on a familiar scent. He debated a few seconds on what he should do but then decided to open the door anyway.

Shiro stood behind the counter and looked up when Lance walked in. “Hi,” he smiled but his eyes held a surprised look that screamed he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Did I disturb you?” Lance took a step back towards the door.

Shiro straightened. “No, no you didn’t...want a sandwich?” he asked holding up a knife. Lance looked down at the plate he was standing over. A loaf of bread and maybe some meat?

Shiro glanced down as well and then back up at Lance with a half smile. “Well, at least I hope it’s a sandwich. I think I saw Hunk using similar ingredients for lunch.”

“Were you still hungry?” Lance asked when really he wanted to ask the same question Shiro had initially asked him.

“Yeah...starving.” He looked down at his plate but his expression seemed closer.

Lance moved closer to the counter. It had been so long since he’d seen the alpha alone. The castle was a busy place despite there being so few occupants and Lance had been avoiding seeking him out. He did not want to take the others time away when it was so clear how much they missed him.

“...How are you?” Lance asked as he sat down.

“Great,” Shiro answered in a rush and smiled. 

“Oh…good.” It was obvious even to Lance that it was a lie but it was not his place to question. 

Shiro's eyes flicked up to meet Lance’s and his shoulders slumped. “Not great.”

“Same,” Lance said and paired it with a smile.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro eyes filled with concern. So quick to forget about his own problems and worry about others.

“Just a bad dream.” 

“Me too. I...sometimes I…” Shiro’s metal hand tightened into a fist. 

Lance waited quietly. 

“They need me here and I am, but not always. Sometimes I’m-”

“Back there.” Lance finished for him. 

Shiro’s eyes met his again. They really were like dark gray storm clouds, powerful and charged with emotion but they seemed tired now.

“It was only a few months. Such a short amount of time compared to the rest of my life.” Shiro combed his fingers through his black and white hair. “It’s just taking a minute to adjust. We made it out and that’s all that matters. I just have to move on.”

Lance hoped it worked out, for Shiro’s sake he hoped it was true and time really did heal all wounds, but he had his doubts. 

Shiro cut two more slices of bread from the loaf and started staking on the maybe meat. Lance watched him as he worked. Shiro being back with his family was a good thing and Lance could see it made him happy but something about him seemed tensed and forced. He smiled the same way Lance did at Lotor when he didn’t want him to know anything was wrong. 

Lance didn’t really know what to say to make it better. Really was there anything that could be said? What words would change their past? How did he undo the damage of galra?

“I like it here,” Lance said drawing Shiro’s attention again. “I haven’t been here long but it’s better. I think that if my first memory was being here than that would be good but it’s not. I have someone who needs me here too. I want to be here all the time with him but I’m not. I don’t-I don’t feel good that I can’t be. I don’t want to fail him by not being here. I want to be what he needs me to be and I feel bad when I’m not.”

“Lance, you are a great father.” 

“I love him,” Lance said because it was true. “But I’m afraid of what he’ll think of me when he’s old enough to see me. Really see me. When he understands that I’m not as strong as I should be.”

“You are strong.”

Lance disagreed but he let it go. “I just mean that if you were maybe struggling with adjusting and being a certain person then well you aren’t the only one. You’ll probably do it better than me. And if you need someone to talk to...”Lance shrugged. He might not have anything useful to say but he could always listen.

Shiro held his gaze for a few moments before a soft smile touched his lips. “You’re always trying to save me.” 

Lance blushed. He lost track of how many times he told Shiro that he was the one who saved him. All Lance could ever offer were small gestures that amounted to little. All he had were his words and most of the time even those weren’t enough.

“Lance?” Shiro called and he looked back at him. “I’m glad you’re here. Out of all of this at least I got to meet you.”

His words hit Lance harder than an arrow to the heart. No one ever said things like that to him and now that Shiro had a deep well of yearning opened inside of Lance. Desire swelled so thick in his throat that it was hard to swallow. To be wanted. To be seen as a good thing. It was too bright and deep of an emotion for someone who spent so much time in the dark that it almost burnt him. 

The door opened and they were greeted by Keith omega scent. He rubbed at his eyes and yawned. “Takashi come back to-” Keith’s eyes flicked over to Lance and he blinked a few times. “Oh, you’re both here.”

Lance bowed his head in shame. He technically hadn't done anything but he still felt guilty. Keith’s footsteps shuffled closer. “What are you making?”

“Sandwiches. I got hungry and was going to come back after I ate,” Shiro said.

“Hm, you too Lance? Were you hungry? Is that why you’re out of bed so early?” Keith said and Lance could feel his eyes on him. 

Lance looked from him to Shiro and then back to him again. “I- yes, I wanted food.”

“You should both eat more at dinner then. Eating this late will give you nightmares.” Keith looked at Shiro. 

Lance watched them both sensing tension between the two. He wondered how much Shiro talked to him about these things, but it was not his place. He started to stand.

“Where are you going?”Keith said turning to look back at him. 

“Um?” Lance wasn’t sure what to say.

Keith’s eyes softened. “You can’t go to bed hungry. Though whatever Shiro’s making might kill you.” He turned around and opened up the refrigerator. When he turned back he was holding a plastic container in his hands. “Hunk put away some leftovers. It should be enough for three.” 

After the food was heated they sat together and ate in silence. Lance tried not to but he couldn’t stop himself from glancing at them both between bites. It was surprising that Keith had chosen to sit on his side and not Shiro’s. His scent had clear hints of cinnamon, which wasn’t unpleasant but kind of distracting. This close Lance could smell Shiro’s scent mixed in with Keith’s. It smelled...good. Like, really good.

Lance looked across the counter at Shiro but Shiro's eyes were on Keith. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

Keith’s fork stop moving. “Technically, you didn’t, the cold did. For the fourth time this week.” 

“Sorry.”

The look on Shiro’s face made it hard to resist the urge to release a few comforting pheromones into the air. Lance had a distinct feeling that it wouldn’t be the right move right now.

Keith stood and gathered their empty plates. “It’s fine. I’ve slept alone most of my life. It doesn’t bother me.” Though his tone was casual Lance could see the tension in his body as he moved towards the sink.

“I-”

“Is Lotor still sleep?” Keith asked cutting Shiro off.

It took Lance a few seconds to realize that he was talking to him. “Yes, he was sleep when I left the room. ”

“That’s good. How is he doing? The castle isn’t exactly child-friendly and it probably not fun for him being confined to certain areas. It would be better if we had somewhere for him to run around.”

“He’s happy. Everything still new so he’s entertained enough for now.”

“Still it might help if had somewhere in the castle to play...be a kid and all. I’ll ask Allura about it,” He looked back at Lance for the first time seeming unsure about himself. “If that okay with you.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble.”

“It won’t.” 

Shiro cleared his throat and Lance looked back at him though Keith kept his eyes on the sink. “I’m going to head back to bed now if you-”

“Go ahead. I’m not tired anymore.” 

Lance wasn’t sure what had happened between the two but there was something. A fight maybe? He feared the part of him that would be satisfied by this but mostly it just saddened him. He wanted Shiro to be happy. He’d never seen a mated pair that was created from free will and love so even if he could not be apart of it he still wished to see it work.

Shiro looked at Keith for a moment longer before sighing. “I’ll wait for you.” When Keith didn’t say anything Shiro turned to Lance with another soft smile that barely touched his eyes. “Goodnight, Lance.”

“Goodnight.”

Lance watched him disappear out the door before turning his attention back to Keith. The sound of running water filled the kitchen and Lance realized he should probably go as well but he didn’t move from the chair.

“Do you guys always met up at night?” Keith asked.

“No, this is the first time.” 

Keith cut off the water and looked back at Lance. “Did he talk to you about it?”

Lance made a confused face.

“The things he doesn’t want to talk to me about.”

Lance fidgeted in his chair. “I did most of the talking.”

Keith nodded and folded his arms. He looked away from Lance gaze pointed more towards the floor. “I don’t really- I’m not good at talking. But if you can help him or it helps you I don’t really mind. What I don’t want is people saying they’re okay when they’re not.”

Lance was so surprised by what Keith said he did not even think to filter his response. “Sometimes pretending it’s okay is the only way to be okay.”

Keith looked back at him, their gaze held. “Maybe,” Keith’s hand rubbed at his lower stomach. Lance noticed that his hand drifted there sometimes and remembered the pink scar that stuck out on his cream colored skin. Keith’s eyes had gone distant and in a way, it reminded Lance of Shiro but he blinked and refocused. “You should get to sleep. You don’t want Lotor waking without you.”

Lance stood and made his way over to the door before looking back. “Are you going back to bed.”

Keith shrugged but did not move from his spot “Later I will.”

Lance watched him for a moment longer but with nothing else to say he stepped out of the kitchen. The door closed behind him and he made his way back to his room. The silence of the hall carried a different weight now compared to when he’d first awaken.


	8. Chapter 8

Lance found himself wondering again down the castle halls. Hunk had come to his room to play with Lotor and before he left the room they were both asleep. Lotor laid curled on Hunk’s stomach as the bigger man snored. Just thinking about it made Lance smile. It seemed that he’d finally started to adjust into life with the Voltron crew members. He hummed softly as he walked not really thinking about anything. He sang softly in a language that he knew instinctively but couldn’t remember where he learned it. 

Zarkon had always hated when he used the other langue accusing him of trying to talk behind his back. Now when he accidentally slipped into the other langue no one seemed bothered.

Lance stopped when he reached the hangar. This was the part of the castle that the paladins were always talking about but he hadn’t ventured. He hesitated before stepping inside. Allura hadn’t told him that any part of the castle where off limits but she had instructed him to be careful.

“The castle sometimes has a mind of its own and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

When the doors slid open Lance looked around before stepping inside. Lance had heard a lot about the Lion’s but he’d never actually seen one in person. They were huge and incredible to look at. By now he knew who each of the Lions belonged to. The black and red ones were Keith and Shiro’s and looking at them made him think of them both so he tried not to linger. After their meet up that one night, he hadn’t really had an opportunity to be alone with them. Not that he wanted that. It wasn’t like they weren’t around, it just usually in a larger group setting and that was totally fine. 

Lance turned his head away from the Lions and the thoughts of their paladins. He walked around studying other Lions until he came to a stop in front of the blue one. They were all amazing to look at but blue was his favorite color. 

“I hear you are quite the trouble maker,” Lance said. Allura was a wonderful person but some part of him couldn’t dislike the Lion that refused to be tamed by the alpha. “Want to know a secret,” Lance whispered to the Lion, “so am I.” He smiled to himself. 

He moved closer to the Lion. It was quiet in here when no one was around. It would make for a nice little hiding place. Lance, not paying enough attention to his surroundings tripped over some of the wires that were running across the floor. He bumped against the Lion’s leg and something started to hum. He quickly stepped back but it was too late. The blue Lion started to move. It lowered it’s head and opened its mouth until it touched the floor. Lance waited a few moments but when it seemed that the Lion wouldn’t make any more moves he slowly inched closer. 

The mouth of the Lion opened like a ramp and seemed to lead inside. Lance thought about it for a few seconds before stepping inside of the Lion’s mouth. It was said that curiosity could be a dangerous thing but it had been Lance’s curiosity that had allowed him to find the secret passages hidden inside of the galra castle walls. Those hidden walls had kept him safe from Zarkon’s terror and had eventually led him to find a secret path into the dungeons that held Shiro.

Curiosity killed the cat  
But satisfaction brought him back.

Once Lance was inside he saw that the pilot's chair and control panels weren’t that different other ships. He sat down in the chair that was surprisingly comfortable and reached for the handlebars. The lights from the control panels washed everything in a blue glow but he could still see out the window.

“Strap up boys and girls looks like we’re going for a ride. I, the lovely Lance, with be your captain.” Lance couldn’t help but giggle at his own title. He made sure not to touch anything but so long as no one was around he didn’t really see a problem with playing around. “Uh oh, look’s like we’ve got a few galra on out tail.” He leaned forward and made a few gun noises. “One down two to go. Let’s give them the old alley-oop. Si, victory, take that you bastards.” Lance cheered raising his fist into the air. 

This was why he loved being alone sometimes. He got to talk however he wanted and pretend to be a free as he liked. 

_What to go for a real ride?_ A female voice whispered inside his ear. Lance jerked back and looked around the Lion expecting to see someone else there. The back of the Lion and the entire hanger for that matter were just as empty as before.

_You scared of a little danger?_

“Who’s there?” Lance asked.

_Just me, lovely Lance._ The blue lights of the Lion brightened and as strange as it was to comprehend Lance realized that it was the Lion talking to him.

“I didn’t know you talked. I’m sorry.” Lance grew nervous again and shifted in his seat. He shouldn’t be in here. Allura wouldn’t like him messing around with her Lion.

_I don’t belong to anyone but myself!_ The Lion loudly protested

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Lance knew better than to anger the Lion when he was inside of her. 

_So do you?_

“Do I what?”

_Want to go for a ride?_

“I don’t think I should.”

_Thought you were into making a little trouble._

Lance blushed wondering just how long the Lion had been listening. She’d seen it all and if she could get inside of his head then he didn’t really see the point in trying to hide it. “I might if it were just me but if I upset them too much they might kick me and Lotor out. We don’t really have anywhere else we can go. I have to be good.”

Or at least try. Lance knew how hard it was for himself to be perfect. Even being here was a risk and he would never forgive himself if he messed this up for Lotor.

_I may not belong to Allura but I do know a little bit about her. She would never be that upset. Plus you only really have to worry about her if we’re caught._

Lance knew he shouldn’t but… “How would we not get caught?”

Lance had no real way of knowing but it felt as though the Lion was smiling at him. Allura left the hanger door key behind last time. A blue compartment opened and Lance saw the keypad laying there. We could go and come back and no one would ever know.

Lance bit his lip.

_Freedom is doing what you want when you want,_ Lance. _Be your own master._

Lance grabbed the keypad and pressed the button before he could think to stop himself. 

_Grab on, close the door and start the engines._

Lance followed her orders. Knowing which buttons to press without even thinking about it. He felt a slight shake as the Lion lifted off the ground. He should have been afraid, should have stopped to rethink his actions but it was too late Lance’s chest fluttering with excitement in a way that he’d never felt before. 

The blue Lion let out a slight grumble of agitation that momentarily distracted him from his own excitement. 

“What’s wrong?” 

_Nothing, my siblings are just being annoying._

“Oh?”

_All they ever talk about is finding someone to bond with and duty and honor I’m done with it. Let’s go._

Lance grabbed onto the handles as she explained and they pushed forward. They took off a lot faster than he was expecting. Lance’s was knocked back into his chair at their sudden increase in speed and change of direction. They shot through the gate and dance through the stars. Once they slowed down into a reasonable speed Lance adjusted again. He leaned forward guided the lino through the dark sparkling infinite space. 

Lance loved every minute of it. In fact, he was certain that Lotor was the only thing he’d ever loved more than the feeling of flying. After fifteen minutes of flying, he leaned back and allowed them to just float.

“It’s so beautiful.” He said staring out the window.

The Lion hummed in agreement. They sat in silence enjoying the view together. Lance was happy and he didn’t want to break the moment but his curiosity started messing with him again.

“What did you mean by finding someone to bond with?” Lance asked.

The Lion hesitated a few seconds before answering. _Lion’s share a special bond with their pilots. We aren’t just machines. What we can do is incredible but we were never meant to do it alone._

“And why don’t you want to bond with anyone?”

_I didn’t say that I didn’t_

“Do you?”

_...Not really._

“Why not?”

_Why love something that’s going to leave you._

“You’re afraid they might abandon you.” Lance guessed.

_I know that they will._ The image of the dark starry space disappeared and was replaced with the image of sand dunes that stretched on into the horizon. It was clear that the image was a video because the time between night and day moved at a fast pace. Lance watched as the sun rose and fell again and again. The area changing slightly but the position of the camera never changes.

_They always do._

Lance felt a loneliness from the Lion that reflected his own. The image changed from a sandy place to a cold tundra to a field of pink grass, but no matter where the camera lens ended up it was always the same effect. Long periods of time suck in immobility. 

_Elder brother is always talking about how we should be grateful and the obligation that comes with our power but honestly, I didn’t ask to be made. I didn’t ask to be loved and forgotten. I’m just...tired of it all._

Lance sympathized with the Lion. “Why don’t you just leave then.”

_I can’t. We need out pilots. That’s the cruelest part of this whole thing. The person I bond with gives meaning to my existence. I fight their fights. Their joy becomes mine and then when they're gone there’s nothing. I lose it all._

“But you're not bonded now. How does that even work?” 

_Partial bonds, a degradation of my true form. My siblings absolutely hate it and are disgusted by what I do. They say I’m being selfish._

“But maybe that’s what allows you to keep going. Maybe it’s the only way you keep yourself from getting hurt. You have to save some part of yourself for yourself don’t you.”

_They don’t see it that way._

“Maybe that’s just how it has to be for now. If you aren’t ready…” Lance breathed in he knew better than anyone the pain of being forced. 

_The world needs Voltron whether or not I’m ready for it._ Her voice became bitter. 

“Well, it seems to me you’ve been at this for a while.” Lance leaned forward and rested his head on the panel. “Maybe the world owes you a break. And you haven’t abandoned them completely. You’re just doing things differently.”

_Elder brother says I’m the reason his paladin was taken._

“Shiro?” Lance didn’t know the full story of how Shiro had ended up in the arena but he knew that Zarkon had been after the black lion for a while now. Lance’s jaw tightened and he spoke through clenched teeth. “There’s only one person to blame for what happened to Shiro and you aren’t him.”

_I do feel responsible though. The others have been through just as much and yet I’m the only one who can’t hold it together._

“Hey now, you can’t measure yourself against others standers. You’re still here and you’re still fighting to be here. Maybe it hurts you more to be left behind but you’re still brave enough to stand next to them and fight. Creo que eso te hace increíble.”

_Gracias, Lance._

Sometime later when he’d returned to his rooms Lance would realize the lion had answered him back in his other language but for now, he was happy to share this moment.  
The window cleared and Lance was left looking out into space again. 

_I promised you a ride, didn’t I?_

“You did?” Lance tilted his head, curious at her change in tone. It was obvious she had something mischievous in mind. 

_Then let’s go do something really fun._

There was a dare in her words and something inside of Lance eagerly rose to the challenge. He grabbed hold of the panels and they took off again.


	9. Chapter 9

When Keith stepped out of his Lion he was livid. No one was sure what to think when Shiro called them all to the hanger and they discovered that the blue lion missing. Panic had been the first response because things usually got pretty bad for them whenever one of the Lions went missing. It was when Coran checked the video feed and they all watched Lance climb into the lion that anger started to mix in.

It was partially because that anger had pushed him forward that his lion was the first to reach Lance. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to find but Lance dancing around a fucking asteroid belt inside of the blue lion certainly wasn’t fucking it. He used a force field to lock around the lion and carried them both back to the castle.

“Keith,” Shiro called his name but he ignored it.

Keith was seeing red as he stormed over to the blue lion and slammed his fist against the metal. “Get your skinny ass out here you blue-eyed asshole.” Keith roared.

Since Lance had arrived here Keith had found himself worrying more and more about the other omega. He still found himself paying attention when the others talked about him, keeping mental notes of how well the other omega was adjusting. Keith had hoped that he would grow to be a little more comfortable around them. A little bolder, but haha the joke was on him.

Turns out sweet omega Lance was the boldest mother fucker on this side of the galaxy. To actually steal one of the lions and go joy riding around an asteroid belt! The audacity of this idiot clearly knew no bounds. 

“Keith that isn’t going to help,” Allura said.

“He stole the lion!” 

“Maybe he had a reason for it,” Hunk suggested coming down from his lion.

“Oh that is exactly what I want to hear,” Keith said folding his arms and glaring up at the mouth of the blue lion. “So why don’t you come out here and try to explain it to us.” He didn’t even bother trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

The blue lion did not lower its head. It remained perfectly still. 

“Allura get it to open up.” Keith looked back at the princess.

She frowned. “I’m trying but it doesn’t seem to be listening.” 

“Then we’ll get a latter and force it open.” 

“I would suggest against any movement that damages the lion,” Coran said clicking away at his hologram. “My systems aren’t showing that there is necessarily anything wrong with the lion but ah it can be a bit difficult.”

“Lance open up right now!” Keith yelled again. He knew the other omega was inside and he knew that he could hear him which meant that he was being blatantly ignored. Realizing this only angered him more.

Shiro held him by his shoulders. “That’s not going to work.”

Keith spun around and glared at his mate. “Aren’t you upset. He made us all worried and he put himself in danger for no reason.”

“Of course I am,” Shiro said in a voice that was lower than Keith’s but lacking nothing in intensity, “but yelling doesn’t get the lion open and it doesn’t get us to Lance.”

Keith pulled away from him, too angry to admit to his reasoning, but he didn’t try to yell again. Instead, he crosses his arms and storms off towards the corner. 

_Stupid, stupid, Lance_

Because it didn’t matter what the reasoning was it didn’t change the fact that he’d taken the lion out alone into space where any stray galra ship could have easily captured them both. Then what would have happened to the dumb fuck? Keith seeth in anger just thinking about it. He glared back at the blue lion. If Lance wanted to hide out in the Lion then so be it. He couldn’t stay in there for forever and Keith had enough anger to last him a while.  
...

Lance no longer sat in the pilot's chair. Instead, he was crouched under the control panel with his arms wrapped around his legs as he rocked back and forth. 

“What was I think.”

_Lance?_ Blue called to him.

They were all out there waiting for him. He could scent their anger even through the metal walls. He messed up. He’d done another Lance special and completely destroyed everything.

_Stupid, stupid, Lance._ He hissed at himself. Zarkon was right when he said he’d done the world a favor by locking away Lance’s special brand of stupidity behind the castle walls. He never should have left.

“No, I had to for Lotor,” Lance said to himself.

And where was Lotor now? Somewhere all alone because Lance had decided to flit around like the stupid useless omega. Poor, poor, boy. He deserved a better father. If he stayed with Lance all his father would do was continue to ruin everything in his life. He was better off without him.

“No,” Lance moaned in sorrow at the thought. He couldn’t leave his son. He needed Lotor in his life, but children are supposed to need their parents not the other way around.

“Useless, useless, useless,” Lance said as he beat his fist against the side of his head. 

_Lance stop that!_ Blue ordered.

Lance let out a sob. His pieces were falling apart again. Any moment the doors would open and he would be punished for what he had done. Allura was not as mean as Zarkon but something had to be done to make Lance pay for his mistakes.

_Lance!_ Blue’s loud voice boomed inside of his head drowning out all other thoughts. _Listen to me, Lance. Allure will not hurt you. I’ve told you before that is not who she is but if it makes you feel better I promise you no one will get inside unless I allow it. I will not turn against you._

Maybe it was because the authoritative tone the lion spoke in was free of pheromones but Lance did find some comfort in it. He still felt horrible about what he had done but if he closed his eyes he could almost pretend that the inside of the lion was like his hiding space where no one but Lance was allowed to exist. Here he could pretend to be free of the world's expectations and disappointments.

“Can you turn the lights down?” Lance’s voice was barely a whisper but the lights dimmed until they faded into complete darkness. He could still feel Blue vibrating around him but the darkness made it better. Lance wasn’t sure how much time past but soon the dark area around him disappeared and he was sitting by a beach.

Here the skies were blue and everyone spoke Lance’s other language. He was young and through he kept his attention focused straight ahead he knew the loving presence that sat behind him. 

He felt them as they touched his shoulder and place a kiss against his forehead. “Mi nieto, te amo.”

Lance opened his eyes again. He’d been sitting in that position that his body was sore. When he crawled from under the control panel the light began to slowly flicker on. He rubbed at his stinging eyes but soon they adjusted. He peeked out of the window and didn’t see anyone.

_There’s still one._ Blue informed him.

Lance looked over to the corner and saw Keith setting up against the wall with his arms folded and eyes closed. It could have been worse. The boy with the mullet was intimidating in his own right but he did not fear him the same way he feared Allura and Pidge. 

_Are you ready to leave?_

No, Lance wasn’t but he needed to check on Lotor. He trusted the members of Voltron enough to believe that they would not hurt his son over his mistake but he still felt to desire to go to him. It was usually were he went after a break down (so long as he wasn’t in the medical wing). 

Lance nodded and the blue lion lowered its head. Lance moved towards the door. It was even brighter in the hanger than it had been inside of the Lion. Lance stepped down and glanced over at Keith. He could try to bypass the still sleeping boy but something inside told Lance that would not be the right move. Best to face his punishment now.

He walked over to the other omega. Keith was beautiful sleeping. Who was Lance kidding? The other omega was beautiful in any state, sleeping or awake. But when he slept there was a slight crease in his brows that spoke of his agitation. Lance should not have found it appealing but he did. Anger and frustration were all traits that omegas were not allowed to express in the galra. Seeing Keith flip through those emotions freely was something Lance found admirable. 

Lance squatted down next to him. It was nice to see him show those emotions but Lance wondered what the omega would look like when laughed uncontrollably. He’d already seen what he looked like when his eyes filled with tenderness. Lance wondered what it would feel like to have that tenderness directed towards him. He shook his head of the thought. That would never happen.

Lance gently poked the other boy’s shoulder. When Keith opened his eyes Lance quickly jerked his hand back. Those purple irises watched him for a second with emotions that were too hard for Lance to decipher. Instead, he gave a nervous smile. “Y-you ordered my skinny ass. Well, here I am.”

Keith didn’t say anything. Lance held his breath afraid to even breath. They stayed in that frozen state for three seconds before the emotions in Keith’s eyes cleared into an angry glare. “What were you thinking?”

“Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t entirely sure.”

That wasn’t the right answer. Keith’s expression twisted even more. “Are you an idiot?”

The question hit harder than a slap. Lance trembled and he could feel the pieces starting to slip again but he held onto them for dear life. “I...am.” Lance lowered his head but Keith grabbed his chin and forced him to look up at him. 

“You could have gotten hurt,” Keith said the intensity of his gaze unwavering. “You could have damaged the lion. You could have made it so we couldn’t form Voltron. You could have gotten taken again. What then Lance? What would you have done?”

“I don’t know.”

“Not good enough. You can do better. Tell me what the hell you were thinking.” 

“Blue offered and I just-”

“Blue?”

“The lion. That’s what I’ve been calling her. She asked if I wanted to fly and-”

“It spoke to you?” 

_She._ Lance mentally corrected because he got a distinct feeling that Blue was a girl but he didn’t bother to voice it out loud. Instead, Lance nodded.

“Then that means...fucking hell.” Keith didn’t seem to be talking to him. He let go of Lance’s face and to Lance’s own surprise he didn’t feel the need to lower his head. “You two together. Why isn’t that more surprising. Wait until Allura finds out.”

Lance swallowed at the mention of the alpha’s name. “I’m so-” Lance’s apology was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

“Keith come to bed. There’s no point in waiting out-” Shiro stopped speaking when he saw them together. Lance’s eyes focused on Keith’s black shirt. He didn’t dear look at the alpha. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to see what awaited him behind those dark gray eyes.

“Are you hurt?” Shiro asked his voice sounding strained. 

Lance shook his head eyes still on Keith’s shirt. 

“Why-”

“The lion called to him, Shiro. It spoke to him,” Keith answered for him. 

“What?” Shiro’s sounded different surprised. Lance dared to take a glance. His eyes didn’t seem angry but he did seem a little shocked. 

“She offered to take me for a ride,” Lance said to the alpha. 

Shiro exhaled and lowered himself to the ground with them. It brought them closer together but it was still better than having him tower over him. 

“I’m sorry, Shiro. I know that I was wrong and I shouldn’t have touched things weren’t mine. I’m so so sorry. I never wanted to make you angry at me. I was trying so hard to be good but I’m not good at being good.” The tears were starting to flow down Lance’s face. He did not want this to happen but he had to let Shiro know how sorry he was. Shiro had saved him and he owed him this at least.

“Lance,” Shiro spoke his name in such a soft tone that it stole all words away from Lance but then he raised his hand and Lance jerked back. Shiro’s hand was left floating in the air. “Lance, I’m not going to hurt you. I told you that I never would.” But it was clear by his tone that Lance had hurt him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” Keith’s scent washed over him offering comfort despite his harsh words. “Don’t do reckless things if all you’re going to do is lock yourself inside of your lion and cry about it afterward.” 

Lance bit his lip and fought the urge to apologize again. Instead of that, he looked back at Shiro who was still watching him with saddened eyes. It was a look that was so completely unlike  
Zarkon that it made moving closer easier.

Lance carefully moved his hand forward and allowed his fingertips to rest on Shiro’s knee. “I won’t do it again.” Not the apology he wanted to give but a promise he was determined to keep. 

I’ll never break your trust again so please stop looking like that.

Shiro slowly moved his hand forward until his finger brushed over Lance’s. It reminded him of their first meeting. Lance had held out a loaf of bread through Shiro bared cell. It had been a simple offering but his hand shook the entire time. Shiro’s hand had brushed against his for a fraction of a second and though Lance had jerked back he never forgot the feel of the man’s hand against his. 

Keith cleared his throat and Lance pulled back again. He’d done it again wanting things he shouldn’t. 

“The others will want to know what happened and that you’re okay,” Shiro said.

Allura would be angry. He’d gotten lucky with these two but his punishment would come eventually.

“Can I see Lotor.”

“He’s with Hunk and Pidge. They’ve been working on some type of baby hover boat but I told them no test runs without your okay,” Keith said.

That made Lance a little nervous but he tried not to show it. He really wanted to see his son before anything else happened. 

“Can we go see him first?” Lance asked. 

“Yeah, sure,” Keith said and he was the first one off of the ground.

Shiro stood next and held out a hand to Lance. Lance looked at it for a moment before placing his hand inside. Shiro lifted him up with ease and this time when Lance’s heart skipped a beat. He released Lance's hand once he was up, which was a good thing because any longer and he might have overheated from the warmth of the alpha’s touch. Shiro held up his arm and Keith grumbled but slid in beside him as the older male draped his arm over his shoulder. His nose brushed against Keith’s mullet as he breathed him in. “You’re skin’s cold. I told you, you could wait inside.” Keith grumbled again but didn’t pull away.

Yeah, definitely a good thing that Shiro had let his hand go. 

Keith and Shiro were the first ones out of the door. Lance made to follow them but stopped when Blue called to him. He turned back to look at the lion.

_Just tell them the truth and it will be okay, Lance._

If Lance never came into the hanger this whole situation could have been avoided, but Lance couldn’t be mad at Blue for taking him on their joyride. She understood him more than most ever could and he felt a connection with her.

“Thanks, Blue,” Lance whispered before leaving out the door.


	10. Chapter 10

Lance held Lotor on his lap. The boy was distracted by the floating bot Pidge had given him but Lance felt better having him there. They sat at the round table surrounded by the members of Voltron. Lance told the story exactly as he remembered it. Blue had given her permission for him to share the truth so Lance did.

“I suppose that does explain things,” Allura said after he finished.

“This is just...wow,” Pidge leaned back in their chair. Lance must have been inside the lion for a long time because they dressed in sleep pants and a t-shirt. “I mean we always knew there was some level of connection and advanced thought patterns but this… this changes everything.” Their eyes were bright with excitement.

“So does this mean the blue lion is Lance’s now?” Hunk asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Blue doesn’t belong to me. She doesn’t want to belong to anyone.”

“Incredible,” Pidge whispered to herself.

“Well that may be true but it does present a bit of a problem,” Coran said.

“Someone needs to pilot the blue lion in order for us to form Voltron,” Allura said.

After everything, Lance probably didn’t have a right to voice his opinion on the matter but he felt sorry for blue. It was clear that for whatever reason she hadn’t been able to communicate her feelings before. There was no way for her to voice her concerns so Lance had to try.

“Blue still wants to fight. She’s not like the other lions but she’s still trying. It might be better if you try to work with her.” Lance said.  
Allura’s expression softened. “You’re right, Lance. But it would seem that I am not the one she’s interested in working with.”

Lance frowned, not really following what Allura was trying to say. 

“Looks like we’ll really have to make sure you want to stay now,” Pidge looked at him and smiled.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. He doesn’t even know how to fly let alone fight,” Keith said. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

“He survived the asteroid belt and you could train him. It might even give you two some much needed bonding time,” Pidge said.

Lance’s eyes widened as he finally realized. “You want me to pilot Blue?” Well, that certainly didn’t make sense. He should be getting punished for his actions, not this. 

Lotor let out a few excited noises as the glowing bot began to change colors. He bounced up and down on Lance’s leg, his nervous energy transferring through the boy. The thought of being able to fly again was so tempting that Lance was afraid to even think about it.

“Only if that’s what you want,” Shiro said and Lance’s eyes were drawn immediately to him. He thought about being able to fight with Shiro. To be able to stand next to him almost as if he were his equal. It was such and dangerously delicious ideal. The thought of being able to fly again as apart of this team filled him with so much desire that it was honestly fighting.

“But I was bad,” Lance blurted out. “Aren’t you going to punish me?”

There was a pause and for a second Lance was sure that his punishment was coming. A growl rumbled throughout the room and to Lance’s surprise, it came from Keith. He looked over at the other omega.

“Lance you what you did may have been a little reckless but…” 

“We all have some pretty crazy ass lion stories. Keith over there broke into the garrisons secret bunker and got kicked out just to get close to the red lion.” Pidge finished for Allura.

“We’re not going to do anything to you buddy. We were all just a little worried really. Now that we know what happened it's all good. Better even.” Hunk said with a smile.

“Though I would suggest against trying anything like that again until you understand how everything works,” Allura said.

Lance didn’t know what to say. Maybe this was all still a dream and he was still hiding inside of Blue. Maybe the entire escape was just another coma induced dream and he was still locked in the medical wing after one of Zarkon bad days. That sounded more probable than him actually being lucky enough to find this group of people. If it was a dream, then he was okay with not waking.

“I want to try. I might not be any good but I want to try,” Lance said.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take some time to think about it?”

Lance looked around the room. These people actually wanted him to join their team. “Yeah, thought about it and I definitely want it.”

“Great,” Pidge said hopping up from their chair. They walked over to Allura and gave their should a squeeze. “Now that that’s over we can all get so sleep and try this again bright and early tomorrow morning.” 

Slowly the room started to clear out. Lance stood and held Lotor in his arms as he followed Hunk out the door. He was prepared to go back to his room when a voice called to him. He turned back to see Shiro and Keith standing there. Shiro’s eyes were on him but Keith kept his gaze pointedly on the adjacent wall. 

“Is there something wrong?” Lance asked.

“Not really, I just wanted to talk to you a bit more,” Shiro said. 

Lance put Lotor down and slowly inched forward. “Okay.”

“I just...I know how cool flying might sound but it can be really dangerous. There’s a chance you might get hurt.” Shiro said.  
Oh, was that what this was about? Lance felt relieved. He was worried that Shiro might tell him that he really didn’t want Lance to be apart of the team. That he’d overstepped a boundary by accepting the offer. 

“If the galra get you-”

“They’ll force me to mate? Beat and torture me until the point it becomes routine? It’s okay, I’ve felt that all before but I’ve never felt what it’s like to fly before, Shiro,” Lance meant for his words to be comforting but the look on Shiro’s face said otherwise. “I just mean that I liked it out there and I’m not afraid of being hurt.”  
Okay, that wasn’t exactly true. Lance did not want to get hurt and he planned on dying before he ever let the galra get hold of him again but, just like getting Lotor out of it had been worth it, Lance knew that this was too. 

“Shiro, let’s just go to bed.” Keith rubbed between his brows trying to chase the headache away. 

“I-”

“He’s a big boy,” Keith snapped cutting off his protest. “He wants to try then you have to let him. If he thinks he can handle it then I’ll see what he’s got.” Keith looked at Lance for the first time since they entered the hallway. “But I do know one thing, you better not be expecting me to go easy on you. I’ll break you in half if that’s what it takes to make you stronger.” 

Lance swallowed, feeling the nerves twist in his stomach but not daring to look away from Keith intense violet eyes. “I can handle it.” He prayed that his words were true.  
When Keith pressed forward his presence loomed over Lance despite his shorter build. His gloved hand touched the side of Lance’s face and thumb stroked his cheek. “You better because once we start I’m not stopping... no matter how many pretty tears you cry.”

Keith’s hand was gone from his face in a flash, leaving Lance stunned as he turned back to Shiro. The red paladin grabbed the black by the arm and carried him off down the hall. Lance watched him go unable to move. He blinked and his face flushed. He could still smell both of their scents heavy in the air.   
There’s something seriously wrong with me. Lance thought as he turned back to Lotor and lead his son to their room.


	11. Chapter 11

Lance huffed and puffed his hands on his knees and sweat dripping down his face. His heart pounded in his chest and his head felt dizzy.

“Pick up the pace,” Keith barked from behind him.

“How... much...longer,” Lance spoke between breaths. His limbs were on fire.

“Long enough to up your stamina. You aren’t going to be the best fighter so the best thing we can do right now is to make sure you can get away.” Keith gave his back a little push. Lance stumbled forward before he started running again. 

So here’s the thing, one of the “perks” of being Zarkon’s omega meant being treated like a delicate flower by the servants. Zarkon was the only one allowed to put bruises on his skin and to everyone else he was meant to be seen as an extension of the alpha himself. The result of this meant that Lance wasn’t exactly prepared of a morning of running laps with the red paladin.   
He was nibble and a fast sprinter (which had helped he avoid some of Zarkon’s hits) but that didn’t mean he was built marathons. By this point, Lance was certain that the omega hated him. 

Lance knew that he was the one who asked Keith to train him but he just didn’t understand how the omega was able to keep up this level of physical activity. 

Lance glanced behind him. Keith was sweating too (though not as much as Lance) and the scents mixed in the air but the red paladin didn’t seem nearly as exhausted as Lance. “Eyes forward unless you want to trip over your own feet,” Keith said.

Lance let out a huff of air as a response. He didn’t trust himself to form actual words. He wished they had started out with fighting. Pain was something he could handle and he knew how to take a hit. It surely would have been better than this, but Keith seemed determined to stick to his training method. 

On the last lap, Lance dropped to the ground at the finish line. He stared up at the bright lights up ahead and focused on pulling and pushing air from his lungs. Keith’s footsteps slowed to a stop next to him. He leaned over Lance so that his face blocked out the light. “Feels good doesn’t it?”

“Good?” Lance barely had enough energy to breathe out the word.

“You accomplished something that seemed like it was impossible. That’s a good feeling.”

Lance would have used another word to describe what he was feeling but the omega looked happier than normal so he gave a small nod. 

“Great,” Keith patted his shoulder. “Take a break and we can start back up in fifteen.” 

Lance’s eyes widened and he was about to say something when the door opened. He turned his head to the side and say Hunk approaching with Lotor following behind. Lance was relieved to see them both and mustered enough strength to sit up. 

“Da da!” Lotor called as he raced over to Lance. Lance opened his arms and let his son crash into him. His body screamed in protest but it was the best kind of ache. 

“Lotor was getting antsy and Allura said that we should come and check on you both,” Hunk said.

“We just finished the first part of the workout,” Keith said.

“The first part? Dude it’s like midday. Don’t you think that’s enough?”

Lance could kiss the ground Hunk walked on. The sensible beta was a blessing to have around. 

Keith folded his arms. “He has a lot to catch up on.”

“And it’s okay if he doesn’t get it all in one day. I mean look at him,” Hunk turned his attention back to Lance and looked at him with apologetic eyes. “Sorry, dude, Keith here’s use to operating at 150%.”

Keith bristled at that. “Well if I remember correctly you all gave him to me to train. Maybe you shouldn’t have if you have such a problem with me going overboard.” 

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s fine,” Lance said he really didn’t want to start any more arguments. “I told Keith that I could handle it.”

Keith looked back at him and there seemed to be a hint of surprise in his eyes but it was hard to tell. Lance licked his lips before looking back at Hunk. “But um maybe a break would be nice. Just for today. Um, we could go over some flying stuff maybe. Something a little more mental.” Lance glanced at both waiting for a reply.

“Sure, whatever,” Keith said.

Lance’s body sagged with relief. He pressed his damp cheek to Lotor’s forehead and thanked the gods.

“Great, I have some snacks in the kitchen. Lotor helped me make them. I think I discovered baby drool as another secret ingredient.”

“Gross.” Keith wrinkled his nose.

“Kidding. Though one of the robot pieces he was playing with did go missing while we were at it so be on the lookout for that.” 

“Thank you for watching him,” Lance said finally moving off the ground. His legs felt like noodles. 

“Any time. I can watch him for a little bit longer if you want to shower before you eat.” 

Lance was dripping with sweat so not showering wasn’t an option but he struggled to let Lotor go. He knew it was dumb considering that he’d just been with Hunk while he was training but it was always the letting go part that was the hardest. He still felt the shiver of panic when Lotor wasn’t in his eyesight. Lance knew it wasn’t healthy but it wasn’t easy either. 

“Yeah sure, thanks... buddy,” Lance said trying to keep his tone casual by using the same friendly title that Hunk so often used. He forced his hand to open and Lotor happily went over to Hunk when he called him.

Letting go was hard but after the initial reaction, Lance felt better knowing he did the right thing. Lotor would grow up independent and unafraid of making connections with others. Lance refused to stand in his way. He twisted and folded his hand in front of him. 

“You can go ahead, I’m going to go check on what type of learning material we have lying around,” Keith said.

Lance nodded and went to the showers. As he washed he mentally noted how the showers always seemed to be empty when he went inside. There were other showerheads so he knew that it was meant for multiple people to shower at once but he hadn’t run into anyone since the first time with Keith. Thinking about it made him think of the galra baths. 

He didn’t know most of the names of the omega’s there but he felt a kinship to them. They’d all been locked into the same hell together. Lance paused with the soapy rag to his skin thinking of the ones who were still trapped there. He felt sorry for them but he did not wish to trade places. It was selfish. There were omega’s that had it even worse than him, ones that were shared by several alphas. The deserved freedom more than he did and yet he’d left them all behind.

Lance blinked tears that blinded in with the water that showered down on him. Did he have any right to want to be apart of Voltron? Keith, Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Allura all of them were great defenders of the universe. What had Lance ever defended besides himself and his son?

Lance stayed in the shower until the water turned cold. He took a deep breath to calm himself back down and turned off the water. Once he was done he dried and got dressed. He opened the door and was surprised to see Keith standing in front of him.

Keith looked equally surprised. “I was starting to think maybe you passed out inside.”

“Were you waiting?”

“No, of course not. I mean not exactly.” 

“Oh,” Lance looked down at the floor before glancing back up at Keith. “I’m sorry about last time. I didn’t mean to make it awkward.” He looked back down again. “I’m not going to ask to bath with you again.”

“That’s not the problem,” Keith answered in a rush.

“What is the problem?” 

“Nothing...there isn’t one. I’m just… it’s nothing. I’m going to go shower now.” Keith said as he brushed past him. 

Lance turned and glanced back at him. Keith back was turned to him but Lance thought his ears seemed a little pinker than normal. He watched him for a few seconds before Keith started to undress and with a blush, Lance realized that he was staring. Quickly, he left the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen. 

Hunk and Lotor were there waiting but he was surprised to Shiro there too. He paused when the alpha turned his head and their eyes met. 

“How was it?” Shiro asked with a smile.

It took Lance a few seconds to realize what he meant but when he did blinked a twice and smiled. “Good.”

“Honestly?”

Lance bit his lip. He wasn't used to giving honest responses but… “I don’t know how I’m standing right now.” 

Shiro pulled out a chair. Lance walked over to take a seat. As he drew closer the smell of Shiro’s scent became stronger. It was the only alpha scent that came close to making him feel comfortable and Lance was forced to resist it. He sat down and the alpha moved back to his spot next to Lance. “I’ll talk to Keith.”

“Don’t,” Lance said quickly. He didn’t know much about the other omega but he had the feeling at Keith would think less of him if he went through his omega. Lance wasn’t sure why it matters so much to him but it did.   
Shiro seemed surprised by his response. Lance swallowed and tried to think of what to say. “It just the first day. I’m sure it will get better.”

“I don’t know, Lance.” Hunk placed the plate of food in front of him. “Shiro’s probably the only one who can come close to hanging with Keith in the training department and even he doesn’t do it all the time.” 

Once again Lance found himself impressed by the other omega. It was probably ridiculous to want to match himself with the other omega but he did. Keith was more than he could ever imagine being and even if he couldn’t meet his level Lance couldn’t deny the urge to try.

“It’s fine. I want to keep going,” Lance said.

Shiro kept his eyes focused on him. “Just let us know if it gets to be too much, okay?”

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapter updates in a day because I've been horrible and I love you all for still rocking with me.


	12. Chapter 12

“And those are the main parts of the ship that any pilot would be expected to know by heart,” Keith said closing the book. He looked over at Lance and saw the other omega sleeping against the table. He sighed and moved closer to Lance. 

Lance still held the pencil he’d been using to take down notes in his hand but his drool dampened the paper under him. A huff of air that was almost a laugh escaped Keith’s lips before he stopped himself. The other omega looked foolish but Keith had to admit that it was nice to see Lance peaceful. Even as he seemed to be settling into life aboard the castle it was rare to see him not fretting over something. 

Instead of waking him immediately Keith carefully pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. Looking at his smooth brown skin and short brown hair, Keith admitted that he was rather beautiful. He still dressed in Coran’s clothes, which Keith made a mental note to talk to the others about picking up something for him on their next stop.

Part of the reason why Keith didn’t wake him was that he still felt guilty over this morning. He still thought it was a good idea to get him to push past his limits but even Keith could admit that he maybe might have slightly overdone it. He just wanted to make sure that the next time Lance road the blue lion that he was ready. It was important for the safety of the team and also Keith felt responsible for the omega.

Keith looked at Lance and it reminded him of himself. They were alike. Not in the stereotypical ways in which people thought omega’s mirrored each other, but so much about Lance reminded him of how he’d been after the attack. Of course, one life-threatening event did not compare the years of suffering but Keith knew what it was to feel helpless. He’d felt it as he bled out alone in the alley and again when the doctors told him of the damage the wound had caused.

Keith reached down and touched the scar on his stomach. He’d been angry at the time but it was all to conceal a deeper hurt. The only thing that helped was learning to fight again. He fought his way into the garrison and to the top of the carts. He’d gathered up all the broken parts of himself and forged something better.

Lance wasn’t as hot-tempered as he’d been but Keith could see the will to fight inside of his blue eyes. 

The argument he’d gotten into with Shiro last night was still fresh on his mind.

_“You can’t baby him, Shiro!” Keith yelled tired of the argument going around and around._

_“How is not wanting the traumatized omega to be put in a combat situation considered babying?”_

_“He wants to do it. He has a right to make that choice.”_

_“He doesn’t understand. It’s not going to be easy for him to go up against the galra again. What’s going to happen when the stakes are high and everything's stressed out because they’re shooting at us. It’s too soon.”_

_“You’re deciding that before he even tries. Maybe he’s more prepared than you realize. This is his chance to fight back. You can not take that from him.” Keith stressed._

_“You make it sound like I’m the bad guy here. I just want to make sure that everyone is safe.”_

_“Then let's put him in a pod. He can be safe and untouched there forever.”_

_“You are impossible sometimes,” Shiro said combing his fingers through his hair._

_“Why because I can you on your shit? News flash your stubborn alpha side isn’t you being protective, it’s you being controlling.”_

_A growl rumbled inside of Shiro’s chest as he took a step closer. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what he’s been through or what it was like in there. They made it their job to break people. What they did isn’t something that’s fixed with a few weeks. You force him up against the same people that caused that trama and you don’t know what could happen. ”  
Keith gritted his teeth. “I’m not forcing him to do anything. He wants to do this and I won’t be the one who tells the omega what he can and can’t do. I said I would train him and I will until he says that he doesn’t want to anymore. I have to get to bed so we can start early tomorrow.”_

It wasn’t often he went to bed angry at his alpha. Waking up with to see that Shiro was already gone didn’t make him feel any better but Keith knew what he was doing. He understood more than Shiro gave him credit for. 

Keith looked away from Lance. He didn’t like fighting with Shiro and he liked leaving things unsettled between them even less. Another omega might have backed down and agreed with their alpha but Keith wasn’t that type of person. Lance needed this just as much as the team needed him.

If they only ever treated Lance like something that was broken then how could he ever learn to more? They had to show him that they believed he could be capable of. Keith might not have seen Lance when he was in the galra but he’d watched him while he was on the castle. He’d seen glimpses of the Lance that hidden inside and he wanted to draw that out. 

Lance shifted next to him drawing his attention. His face scrunched “Alpha” he whispered before his eyes fluttered open. Keith smelled them soon after. The door opened and Pidge walked in. Keith mental filed away the fact that Lance seemed to have trained himself to wake at the scent of an alpha approach and turned his attention to them.

“How’s it going you two?” Pidge said looking up from the hologram.

Lance straightened and blushed as he rubbed some of the drool from his cheek.

“Great,” Keith answered as he moved from his chair.

Pidge chuckled but didn’t say anything.

“What are you doing here?” Keith asked.

“Picking up some files to look over,” Pidge said as she walked over to the computer’s mainframe and connected their tablet. “Allura hooked on some old earth soap operas and I’d probably claw my eyes out if I actually had to sit there and pay attention the whole time. So I’ll read and she’ll watch.”

“Sounds fun,” Keith said sarcastically. 

“Oh, you’re welcome to join. You too, Lance. I think there are a few telenovelas if that’s what you’re into.”

“Telenovelas?” Lance asked.

Keith looked down at him. He heard a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Yeah, like the ones back home. Though they're a little dated. Allura won’t mind either way.” Pidge glanced back at them over their shoulder. “Did I say something wrong?”

Lance fidgeted in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong? You can say it,” Keith said.

Lance glanced back at him with his deep blue eyes. “What is a telenovela?”

“You know the Spanish soap operas?” Pidge said turning around completely to face them.

“What is a soap opera? What is Spanish?”

The first question could maybe be explained away. It might have been that he just hadn’t watched any on earth (though Keith hadn’t either and he still knew what they were). The second question was just mind-blowing.

“Lance, Spanish is the other language that you’re always speaking,” Pidge blurted. “You know _hola, me llama Pidge._ ”

Keith looked at them with a raised brow.

They blushed. “What? It wasn’t my best course, sue me.”

Keith looked back at Lance and saw that there was still a look of confusion on his face. His eyes softened as he gently touched the other omega’s shoulder. “Do you really not know.”

Lance shook his head. “I-I don’t...I don’t remember.” 

...

Shiro sat on the sofa with his arm around Keith but his eyes on Lance. They’d all gathered around after Pidge and Keith told them what they discovered about Lance. Now they sat smushed together on the sofa with the screen as the only light source. Lance sat on the floor in front of the screen with Lotor on his lap. His eyes were glued to the screen watching the Telenovela in complete awe. 

“I still can’t believe it,” Shiro whispered. 

“They’re evil soulless bastards who only care about control. It’s not really that hard to believe when you think about it,” Keith whispered back. He sat against Shiro with his arms folded and body seething with anger.

Lance turned his attention away from the screen for the first time and looked back at them. Shiro gave Keith’s arm a slight squeeze as a warning. The blue-eyed omega had a good sense of smell and it was best that he probably already picked up on Keith’s angry scent. It would be easy for him to misunderstand where that anger was directed. Keith forced a smile. As angry as he was this was not about him.

Lance returned his smile with slight hesitation. “I never knew… it’s crazy to think there’s a whole group of people that speak...Spanish.” Lance rolled the word around on his tongue testing it out.

“It’s one of the most commonly spoken languages on earth,” Pidge added in an excited voice.

“It’s so crazy that he could remember without… you know, remembering,” Hunk said.

“Langue is interesting when it comes to memory loss. People remember how to speak but they don’t remember the children's books or the people who taught them. It’s really cool when you think about it.” 

“This isn’t some fun science experiment, Pidge. They did this to him. They’re taking everything away from the omega’s they capture,” Keith said.

“I didn’t say that I support what they did,” Pidge grumbled as they sunk lower into the couch. 

Shiro’s attention had been drawn back to Lance. He’d turned back to the screen and stifled a laugh something one of the actors. It tugged at his heart. He wondered how he had missed it. The Spanish slipped in and out of his speech with such ease. There was just so much he didn’t know about Lance and apparently so much that Lance didn’t know about himself. This wasn’t a normal case of amnesia. They’d gone into his head and taken things from him. There was no way of knowing if he’d ever get them back. 

Shiro’s metal hand balled into a fist at his side. He remembered what it was like to be the lab rat on their tables. The phantom of his own screams echoed inside of his head. Waking up and noticing for the first time that a part of his body was no longer there was something Shiro would never forget. 

Keith’s hand squeezed at his thigh. Shiro pulled himself back to the percent. If he was going to warn his mate about keeping his emotions in check then he could at least do the same. 

The first time Shiro saw Lance in the dungeon he seemed unreal. Lance had moved out of the shadows, completely undetected by the guards. Earlier that day, Shiro had received a wound that left him feeling dizzy. Seeing Lance standing before him with his soft blue fabrics and deep blue eyes had made him seem like a fairy. He had to be something magical because he’d appeared out of thin air when Shiro needed him most.

It wasn’t until later that Shiro realized that he hadn’t appeared out of nowhere. The hidden passages he used to visit Shiro and move around the castle had been key in their escape. Now Shiro realized even more than before that Lance had somewhere he’d once belonged to. The reason Lance didn’t talk about life before the galra wasn’t because it was too hard (The reason Shiro had originally assumed for the boy silence) but because the past had been stolen from him.

The credits started to roll and Lance looked back at them with pleading eyes. “Can we watch the next one.” 

“Of course we can,” Shiro answered.

“Absolutely,” Allura grabbed remote with a smile. “I love this one. It’s my new favorite.”  
Pidge shrugged. “It’s actually not that bad.”

“And that Carlos guy is pretty funny. I want to see how he reacts when Esteban challenges him,” Hunk said between handfuls of popcorn.

“I would put my money on the guy in the blue blazer. A man who can pull off those patterns is not to be messed with,” Coran said twirling his mustache.

Lance looked at Keith who shrugged. “I seriously doubt Graciela choices either of them. They’re both too dumb to shut up and listen to what she actually wants.”

Lance smiled before turning back around to face the screen. Seeing him happy made Shiro feel more at ease. He already decided he would do what he could to help Lance find out about his past but for now, it would be nice if the omega could start thinking of this as a home as well. Lance deserved that and so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this Chapter fought me hard y'all but whoop there it is. As always I love that you all read, comment, like and support.


	13. Chapter 13

Lance’s first day off was a blessing. Lately, he’d been going to bed with aching muscles and head spinning with quiz facts. He wasn’t complaining. The mental challenge of learning excited him but it was nice to have a break. It would have been perfect was it not for his son’s new favorite word.

“Come on, nene, play time's over. You need to put on clothes.”

“No!”Lotor smiled and raced around the other side of the bed.

Lance moved to catch him but at the last second, he switched direction. The towel Lance had tied around his son caught on the edge of the bed and pulled from his body. “Lotor, no. You’ll catch a cold!” But the little boy did not listen to him. He reached up on his tiptoes and pressed the button to open the door. Lance’s eyes widened and he tried to reach for the little purple boy. The door slid open and Lotor raced out before Lance could grab him.

“Lotor!” 

“No, no, no!” The boy giggled as his naked behind raced down the hall.

Running seriously wasn’t supposed to be apart of today’s plan but Lance didn’t have much of a choice. Perhaps once he’d had enough time to reflect he’d find the positive side in Lotor being comfortable enough in their new home to try something so innately childlike, but for now, he focused on catching his son. Lotor was surprisingly fast on short legs, he was going to be a runner like his father, but Lance was faster. He caught up to Lotor and pulled the shirt over his head. He squirmed but he was no match for his father.

“No” Lotor shook his head, white locks smacking Lance in the face. 

“Enough,mijo,” Lance said in a firm voice, adjusting his hold of his son. “What's going on with you today?”

Lotor poked out his lower lip and made sad eyes.

“Oh? Trying to get away by looking cute? And who taught you that?” Lance tickled him and the sad look on his son’s face quickly dissolved into laughter. He caught a familiar scent in the air and stopped tickling. Lance glanced down the other end of the hall. A few seconds later Allura, Pidge, and Hunk appeared around the corner. 

“Good morning,” Allura said with a smile.

“You okay, dude, you look a little frazzled.” Hunk smoothed back a few stray locks of Lance’s hair. He was proud of himself for no longer flinching at friendly grooming, though it only happened with Hunk. 

Lance sighed. “We’re having quite a morning because someone didn’t want to get dressed.” He gave Lotor a pointed look and the child smiled innocently in return.

“That’s actually why we came,” Pidge said. “We’re going to be stopping by a friendly planet and they’re notorious collectors and traders. They’ll probably have something for you both.” 

“I don’t have anything to trade,” Lance said. Maybe if he’d have been thinking he would have taken some of the jewels Zarkon liked to decorate him with but honestly the less that connected him to that life the better. 

“Worry not. All expenses will be covered,” Allura said. 

Lance chewed his lip. They’d all been so nice to him but he didn’t want to take advantage of their kindness. He’d received so much from them and they’d never asked for anything in return. It made him uneasy. He realized that they were kind-hearted people but it didn’t make him feel any better to be seen as a burden.

“I mean, I don’t mind sharing my clothes but Lotor might like something a little more size appropriate,” Pidge said looking at the shirt Lotor now wore. This one had the words ‘Facts Over Opinions’ printed on the front.

Lance looked at his son and then back at the others. “Okay. Yeah, that sounds great. Thank you.”

Allura’s smile widened. “You are going to love it. They have iced naragha.”

Lance returned her smile. “Will Shiro and Keith becoming?”

He’d spent a lot of time with Keith lately and thought they occasionally made mistakes that caused misunderstandings he thought that maybe they were starting to get along. It was hard to tell with the other omega but Lance hoped that was the case and not just wishful thinking. He hadn’t seen Shiro as much but it was always nice when he did. Plus he’d gotten so used to seeing them together that their tender touches totally didn’t him irrationally envious anymore. 

The others hesitated to answer but it was Hunk that spoke up first. “Keith’s in heat.”

“Oh,” Lance said though his brain struggled to process. Of course, he knew that heats were a bi-monthly occurrence for omega but he hadn’t ever thought of Keith having one. Oddly enough the purple-eyed omega seemed like someone who would be above something as primal as a heat. He certainly couldn’t imagine Keith withering with desire as his fingers pushed deeper into his wet dripping…

“Oh,” Lance repeated voice more strained and face flushed. He looked away from them and quickly pushed the thoughts aside. Keith must have been somewhere far on the ship for him to not catch the scent of his heat. He cleared his throat and tried to refocus.

“Yeah, so Shiro’s going to stay behind with him but we can still have fun without them,” Hunk said.

Lance nodded. It was probably a good thing they were getting off the castle then. Heats tended to have a domino effect, triggering the ruts and heats of omegas and alphas around them. It was a scent he was use to smelling but one that he’d never been fond of. Lance still hadn’t come up with a plan of what he would do when his heat came around but it probably involved having Hunk watch Lotor and barricading himself in the room. 

“How soon do we leave?”

...

Lotor loved the open air of the new planet. He chased after the giant blue moth, tumbling in the grass and dirting his new pants. Lance didn’t mind. He’d have them cleaned when they got back but for now, it was nice to see his child running free. Lotor wasn’t the only child chasing after the month. A girl with yellow skin and long bunny-like ears raced behind him. Lance smiled when the girl helped Lotor stand after he fell. They took off again together hands clasped tight.

Considering the importance that the galar put on breeding there weren’t that many children around for Lotor to interact with. With so much time away from other children Lance feared his child might have problems socializing. Lotor had clung to his side at first but the joyous sounds of the other children had been too tempting for him to ignore. 

“If only I could bottle up that energy and sell it myself. I’d make Terin the richest planet in the galaxy.” An older man with the same bunny ears and blue skin said from behind Lance.

The man had a large build, both tall and muscular. Lance took a small step away but smiled. “Is she your daughter?”

The man laughed a joyous and friendly sound. “They are all my children but I do not believe I took part in that conception circle.”

“Prince Yagi,” Allura greeted behind them. She held two bowls of frozen green balls in her hands. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Princess,” Yagi bowed his head and Lance noticed for the first time that his bunny ears held more jewels on them than any others. Lance fidgeted feeling foolish for not having noticed before. Yagi stood and glanced around. “Are the others here?”

“Hunk and Pidge traveled with us but I’m not exactly sure where they are now,” Allura said.

“They said something about flower cake.” Lance remembered the excited looks on both of their faces. They’d promised he’d like it and that they would return soon.

“Ah, yes, hopefully, they don’t run into the same problem as last time,” the princess said sounding worried.

Yagi smiled. “The little ones were quite entertained by the whole thing if I remember correctly. Though, there were a few worried omegas over the levels of frosting left in the children’s hair.”

Yagi turned his attention back to Lance. His eyes were red and when the light struck them they danced like fire. “And how long have you be traveling with our mighty defenders?”

“Not long.” 

“May I ask your name, beautiful?” 

Lance blushed and swallowed. He scented the prince when he approached and knew that he was an omega but he still made him nervous. “Lance.”

“Actually, Lance will be our new blue paladin,” Allura said.

“Really? I thought you flew the blue Lion.”

“For now. Maybe occasionally in the future. If that’s what she wants.” 

It made Lance happy to know that Allura was considering Blue’s feelings. He was certain that the two would be able to work things out between them so long as they were both understanding. He didn’t know if he felt about being introduced as the new blue paladin but he didn’t correct her.

“Well if you have been chosen to be a part of Voltron then you are more than welcome here. They have helped us greatly.”

“The galra empire had taken much from these people,” Allura said expression growing solum.

“Nearly a generation of omegas. Our population suffered greatly. When my parents discovered my second gender they gave their lives to keep it hidden. My people would have probably been decimated were it not for Voltron’s help.”

“I’m sorry,” Lance looked down at the ground. The guilt over leaving all those other omegas behind was never far from his mind. He didn’t remember seeing anyone who looked like the prince's people but there were so many different races there. He squeezed his hands together. All of them had somewhere they belonged to before. Lance had somewhere he belonged to before.

“We are stronger now and we stand together. When we return those who were lost to us they will see a united family. What happened was horrible but we realized we are not many small packs but one big one. My people stand closer together now. Sharing all things as one.” 

Lance looked up at him. He’d noticed as they were moving through the market how openly affectionate everyone seemed to be around him. They walked in groups nuzzled close together. Across the meadow, a group of five sat cuddled together watching the children as they played.

“Many find it strange the way we do things here but it works for us. We love together and when the time comes to fight, we fight together.” Yagi smiled as he watched his people. 

Another thing Lance had failed to notice before was the bite mark on Yagi’s neck. Not just one but multiple. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He’d seen omegas with multiple bite marks and they’d received the worst treatment out of all of them. It was one of Zarkon’s favored threats when Lance misbehaved. To see that many bite marks on a Prince was surprising. Wasn’t that supposed to be offensive? To bite the neck of someone who had already been mated was the lowest insult to original mate a person could make.

Yagi looked back at him. “Everyone here has chosen to live like this.” He didn’t sound offended and was probably used to that type of reaction. 

Lance snapped his mouth closed as his face flushed once again. The world outside the galra really was different. “It must be nice...to be loved by so many.” Lance tried to amend. 

He was still trying to wrap his head around it but looking around it didn’t seem so bad.

“It is not without its challenges but I am a happier man now than I was before.” 

Allura handed Lance his bowl. “It is a wonderful thing they have created here. Even scars can be turned into something beautiful.” 

“Once the galra has fallen completely we will all need to heal. Better that we do it together,” Yagi said.

Lance ate as he watched his son play. Allura and Yagi continued to chat but they seemed fine with allowing him to drift out of the conversation. He thought about everything Yagi had said. It was hard to imagine taking a mate again but multiple? Lance shook his head. Impossible, completely impos-

Shiro and Keith popped into mind. He squeezed his eyes shut. They were miles away, hovering over the planet, and Lance’s mind somehow still found it way back to them. They were probably together now enjoying the privacy.

“We will be hosting another circle tonight if you two are interested,” Prince Yagi said.

Lance looked back at him not understand at first but Allura answered for them. “We appreciate the offer but the others will be awaiting our return.”

Someone from across the meadow called for the Prince. He bowed to them. “If you change your mind there is always an opening.” When he rose he smiled before taking off in the direction of the voice.

It did not take long for the other two to rejoin them after that. Most of the earlier conversation had slipped Lance’s mind after a few minutes of watching his son. He sat cross-legged in the grass with a small smile on his face. It would have been hard to imagine that his life could have moments like this back inside of the empire. He’d pinch himself to make sure it was real but he didn’t want to worsen the bruise that was already there.

“Did he ask you to join the sex circle again?” Pidge asked Allura and Lance choked on his green ice. Hunk patted him gently on the back. Allura had just finished retelling the encounter when Pidge asked. 

“He was very respectful about it,” Allura said as she played with Pidge’s hair. The other alpha sat between her legs with their arms folded.

“And I hope you respectfully rejected it.”

“Of course.” 

“It’s really not that bad,” Hunk said.

Lance looked back at him. “You’ve been apart of the...sex circle?” 

Hunk nodded though there was a slight blush on his cheeks. “I...uh...yeah. It was an experience. The part after the mating is the best. Lots of cuddling and really really good food.” 

Lance had never thought of Hunk in the sexual sense, he always given off such a comfortable vibe but there was nothing wrong with Hunk having those desires. It shouldn’t have made him uncomfortable to realize that Hunk was also capable of sexual urges. It was perfectly normal. Lance looked down at his empty bowl, the green ice no longer sitting well on his stomach. 

“It’s not like I was just trying to sleep with a bunch of people. Yagi was just really nice about it when he offered and-”

Lance could tell Hunk was nervous from how fast he was talking. The last thing he wanted to do was make the beta feel like he was being judged so Lance gently touched his shoulder. “It’s cool, buddy. All that matters is you had a good time and no one forced you.”

Hunk smiled. “They didn’t. Everyone is super into consent. I think that’s why it works so well.”

“That’s good.” Comforting Hunk made Lance feel better. At that moment Lance decided that it didn’t matter, it didn’t change the way Hunk had treated him so why should it change the way Lance saw him. He looked back at Allura and Pidge. They were both alphas but also so much more. Second genders and sexual orientations didn’t matter nearly as much as how one treated others and they’d done everything to make him feel at home. He was still afraid. He wasn’t sure there would ever come a day when he got completely over his fears but the didn’t need to rule over him.

“Thanks for taking me.” Tears swelled in Lance’s eyes because he didn’t mean just taking him to this strange yet loving planet. 

“Aw, dude, you’re making me feel all huggy,” Pidge said.

Lance smiled. “I...wouldn’t be against that.” 

There was a pause and then slowly they all started to move closer until Lance found himself at the center of a group hug. His body tensed at first but slowly he melted. The hug was almost over when a fifth smaller body crashed into them.

“We love you too, little guy,” Hunk said lifting Lotor so that he too was in the center of the hug.

Yeah, Lance had made the right choice. These were the right people. They were the pack he wanted.


	14. Chapter 14

Keith sank down on Shiro’s dick and a shiver ran through his aching body. It felt like coming home after a long journey. The room was full of their scent, but Keith’s was the notably stronger one of the two. He leaned against Shiro’s chest for support, his nails biting into pale flesh. The red lines that raced across his skin looked like art and if his brain wasn't so heat crazy he might have been tempted to take the time to trace them with his tongue. 

Shiro’s hands were on his hips. They tightened and then flexed, anxious in their movements. Keith pulled his functioning brain cells together and looked down at his lover. Shiro’s eyes were closed and his expression strained.

“Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?” Keith asked between pants. 

Shiro opened his eyes and gray irises met with violet before he closed them again. “Just...uh, give me a second.”

Keith leaned down and kissed him. He tensed more, which was the opposite effect of what Keith had been going for. Keith rolled his hips and Shiro’s hands tightened again. Normally Keith liked the push and pull of Shiro trying to take control but right now it seemed that he was trying to hold Keith back for a different reason. 

The instinctive side of his brain wanted to get frustrated at the inaction. Keith loved sex but honestly heat brain he could do without. 

“Do want a different position,” Keith asked. Failing to please, especially during a heat, was never good for an omega. Shiro was harder than a rock and the smell of his desire poured off of him but Keith couldn’t get over the sense that something was wrong. 

“I just don’t want to hurt you.” 

Keith laughed and leaned closer again. “Are you forgetting who you’re with right now?” his teeth scraped across the soft skin of Shiro’s neck. 

Shiro’s hands tightened yet again but still his hips stayed frustratingly immobile. Keith pulled back and frowned. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Shiro opened his eyes and swallowed. “It’s different since…”

“We’ve had sex since you’ve got back, Kashi.” Keith stroked his lover's hair. It was hard to stop his body from trying to move on his cock but this was more important than his own desires.

“It’s different. You smell fucking…” Shiro didn’t finish his sentence before he closed his eyes and licked his lips. “It’s harder to control.”

“I didn’t ask for control.” Sex with Shiro was never a dull affair but Keith could feel him holding back. It wasn’t the first time they’d had the conversation but this was his heat and he needed to know that Shiro was fully enjoying himself. Inside of the heavy scents of desire was the hint of fear and Keith couldn’t have that. 

“I’ve hurt people when I lose control, Keith. Really, really hurt them.” 

Keith really didn’t need more of a reason to hate the galra, but the broken note in Shiro’s voice yet another. 

Keith touched his hand to one of the many scars that covered his body. “So have I and for worse reasons. I trust you, Takashi.”

Shiro was the one to meet his lips this time. Keith kissed him back and bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Shiro pulled back and stared at him with an intense gaze. Keith looked back at him with a smirk. 

In a quick motion, Keith found his back pressed against the bed. Shiro pressed his legs back and sank deeper into Keith’s ass. Keith’s breathing increased with Shiro’s thrust. His nails dug in again and when they kissed he tasted copper.

With heat-producing and an obscene amount of slick, there wasn’t as much friction as Keith would have liked but Shiro’s knot teased his rim. Anticipation bubbled inside of him and precum dribbled from his cock down his stomach.

“Fuck,” Shiro hissed as he kept up the pace.

“Fucking wreck me, Kashi. It’s yours. All yours, so take it.” 

Shiro’s mouth was on his when the knot caught. The growl came straight from Shiro and vibrated deep inside of Keith. Shiro continued to thrust, pulling back to the point that his knot almost threatened to pop out before sinking back in. It was torture. It was one of the best feelings ever. 

They came together. Keith cock spilling seed all over his stomach and Shiro pumping deep inside of him. His body sucked at him trying to accomplish the impossible. 

Shiro was breathing just as hard as him but still took the time to roll them in a comfortable position where they could wait out his knot.

After some time Shiro pulled out and looked Keith over frowning at some of the marks that he’d left.

“Hey, come ‘ere,” Keith pulled him down into another kiss. He loved the fact that he would feel Shiro long after his heat was over and he wasn’t about to let the alpha feel bad about that.

Keith laid on Shiro’s chest as they waited for the next wave to hit. Shiro hesitated but eventually wrapped his metal arm around Keith.

“You’re still holding back,” Keith said it wasn’t as hard to get his brain working now.

Shiro froze under him. “I’m trying.”

Keith raised his head until he was looking at Shiro. “I know” he kissed him before settling back down on his chest. “There’s no one I’d rather be here with.” They’d figure it out eventually. He was sure of it. The adjustment period was just taking longer than they’d initially expected. 

Shiro placed a kiss on the top of Keith’s head. 

“What do you think the others are doing?” Keith asked after a few moments of silence.

“I suggested that a supply trip might do them some good. Lance and Lotor were long overdue for a wardrobe update. Especially the kid.” 

“It’s different having them around.” 

Shiro hummed in agreement.

“Do you ever...do you ever think about kids? You know, making a real family.” 

“Shit, we’re not real? I had a feeling this was all a dream.”

Keith pitched his side but bit back a smile. “You know what I mean.” 

“Or maybe a simulation? Yeah, that makes more sense.”

“Shiro-”

“I mean how else would you explain someone like me getting to spend the rest of his life with you. You’re too perfect to be real.” 

Keith sat up and looked at Shiro. “I’m not perfect.”

“Neither am I.” Shiro touched Keith’s cheek with his galra hand. “But we’re a family. You and the pack are what I fought to come home to. If in the future our pack gets bigger than great. I mean there’s even a chance that Pidge and Allura might mess around give the pack a new baby to deal with.”

It was harder for two people of the same second gender to have a kid but not entirely impossible. If Keith remembered correctly from his health class, the odds of Allura and Pidge having a kid were in the five percent range. Lower than if one of them had been at least a beta but higher than if Allura had been an alpha male. Keith hadn’t paid much attention to that lecture so he couldn’t be sure. By then he was already damaged goods. 

“Or maybe Hunk brings back someone nice and they have a kid,” Shiro continued. “I wouldn’t mind but, baby, don’t ever think this family isn’t enough exactly the way it is.” 

There was no doubt about it that Keith loved this man. “Looks like our pack is already set to grow by two.”

“That’s up to Lance.” 

Keith got the sense that Shiro was holding back again. He knew his mate. Knew from the look in his eye that part of him had already started to see them as pack. It was okay. Keith felt that way too. Usually, he was more guarded with who he let into his inner circle. He’d been hurt too many times not to be, but Lance and the kid spoke to something inside of him. 

“I want them to stay,” Keith whispered because he knew better than to voice his desires to loudly. The universe might remember that it had been too long since it fucked him over. 

“We’ve been good for them. Lance is getting so much better. He’s stronger and there’s a deep desire to learn inside of him.”

“If he stays it has to be because he wants to stay. We have to go at his speed. Whether it’s fighting or becoming apart of this family. We shouldn’t rush.” 

“I know. I want him to want it. I think he could maybe.” Keith thought about the way Lance had smiled at him when he praised him for learning something new. His chest warmed at the thought.

“Maybe,” Shiro agreed. 

While he was thinking about it another thought occurred to him. “You said that they went on a supply run.”

Shiro nodded.

“Isn’t the closet planet Terin?”

Shiro thought about it for a second before a blush bloomed across his face.

Keith arched a brow. “You’d better hope that he doesn’t get an offer to join a sex circle.” He knew the people of Terin would be respectful about it but he didn’t like the idea of Lance being tossed in that situation without warning. Terin was a beautiful place but he didn’t exactly like the way some of the people looked at Shiro when they visited. Lance being the beautiful omega that he was there was almost a guarantee that someone would approach him. 

“The others are with him so it should be fine.” The look in his eyes told Keith that if it wasn’t for his heat keeping Shiro in bed the Alpha would be tempted to go make sure of it. 

Keith shook his head and kissed him again. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”  
…  
Sendak looked at the image of their dead leader. Zarkon had been the alpha who stood above all others and there his body lay broken on the floor. He swiped the image and the next image that appeared was more grainy than the one before. He could make out two people in the shot. The bloody metallic arm was a give away for the black paladin. Sendak sneered when he saw him. It wasn’t hard to figure out who the other person was once reports of the missing omega reach him.

It seemed the Champion had turned on his master and stolen his prize. As much as he hated him Sendak could help but feel a growing respect. It would make finally winning over the Champion all the more sweeter. He cock twitched at the thought of it. Zarkon had always loved his soft omega prizes and while Sendak was sure to have his fun once he returned to galra property he thought the most enjoyment would come from seeing the alpha bent and broken.

“We are making excellent time sir. Thanks to the enhanced fuel source we were able to mine we should be able to make it back sooner than projected,” One of the galra serving under him said.

Sendak kept his eyes on the image as the smile spread across his face. “Perfect.”


End file.
